A Beautiful Reflection
by PhoenixstarKina
Summary: Human in the waking world, but in his dreams he takes to four paws. A world that is all his own to explore and learn, until another comes into his domain. Ice blue eyes meet crystalized teal ones, and a connection is formed between Kurt and the new stranger in their shared dream world. Is he just something Kurt's Felidae form brought up?(full inside)(will contain angst)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: …This started out as a Kurt/Wes fic in 2012. In early January 2013, it turned into Kadam. And now, it's Wert again.**

**I hope it stays that way!**

**Summary: Human in the waking world, but in his dreams he takes on a more spotted form. A world that is all his own to explore and learn, until another comes into his domain. Ice blue eyes meet crystalized teal ones, and a connection is formed between Kurt and the new stranger in their shared dream world. Is he just something Kurt's Felidae form brought up, or is he more dangerous than Kurt could ever imagine?**

**Warnings: Takes place throughout Season 3 after It's Not Right But It's Ok, but will be AU(some parts will come from the show, but most will deviate from it), Wert, supernatural, angst, ****POSSIBLE TRIGGERS****(Depending on how the story goes, this does not apply to the first chapter and parts with triggers will be marked beforehand and can probably be avoided without missing much from the story.), NOT KLAINE FRIENDLY. **

**Chapter 1: The first time I woke up and remembered, I knew I never wanted to again**

* * *

Crunching leaves, harsh pants, branches breaking, _noises_, seeming to be everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. He was dreaming, Kurt knew that much. But it seemed so _real_, the feeling of the leaves, the burn in his lungs, and something he couldn't quite pinpoint.

In the waking world, he was tossing and turning in his own bed, hands gripping the sheets like a lifeline. His breathing was just as harsh as it was in the dream, his heart was hammering so fast, almost inhumane.

The dream, he was being chased. Chased far away from wherever it was he started out. His heart was beating just as fast here as it was in the other world. He could tell what it was chasing him. _Fear_. Something he felt so often now that he was back at McKinley. Dave may not be a threat anymore, but the rest of the football team and hockey team were still there. And now, he had a new threat.

The fear was taking on a corporeal form. And just before its jaws could clamp shut around him, a loud bark woke him up. Kurt sat up quickly in bed. He barely registered that he had screamed when he saw the sharp teeth trying to tear into him. It didn't register fully until his dad tore open his bedroom door, seeing Kurt trying to get his breathing under control and his heart to slow down.

"Kiddo," Burt walked over to Kurt's bed, sitting down next to his son. He rested one hand on Kurt's back and continued, "Are you alright? It was just a nightmare."

"'M fine daddy." Kurt's voice was hoarse. He wondered if he had only screamed once, or more. In the dream, he had only panted with the effort to get away. "It's nothing, I'm alright."

"Come on, let's get some water for you."

Kurt stood up, his legs shaking with the effort. _'It feels like I was training with the Cheerios again…but how? It was just a dream.'_ He shook the thoughts away as he followed his father downstairs to the kitchen. Carole was up as well, getting ready to go into work. She was an EMT, but certain things gave her a bit of leeway with the hours. Mainly her son's school problems that they had yet to diagnose, and her step-son's frequent nightmares and asthma, both caused by bullying. Of course, he was born with the asthma, his mother had it and the medical problem was passed to him. It only showed up after the Middle School football team pelted him with balloons filled with Yellow dye no. 5. He had a pretty bad allergic reaction to it that triggered the asthma.

"Carole, where's his inhaler?" Burt asked, getting a glass of water for Kurt.

Carole ushered Kurt into a chair. "I have it right here, was it the nightmares again?" She asked Kurt.

Kurt took the inhaler from her before nodding. "Nightmares…they seem so real."

He gratefully took the glass from his father, downing it in seconds as Carole rubbed his back with one hand. His parents shared a concern look over the top of his head. Kurt glanced at the clock, seeing the time like a ticking time bomb.

4:47 A.M.

A little early, even for him. School didn't start until 8, and he always woke up at 6. If Finn was awake early enough, the two would leave around 7:45, plenty of time to get to school. If he didn't wake up, Kurt would leave at 7:50 and Finn could take his own truck instead of riding with Kurt in the Navigator.

"I'm gonna go back to bed." Kurt murmured, handing the glass back to Burt.

"Alright kiddo. Do you want me to call you in for school so you can get some more sleep? You look like you need it."

Kurt knew he needed it. He saw his reflection in the glass. He looked horrible, even with the moisturizers he used. It was because he wasn't sleeping. Because the nightmares got worse after…

He shook his head to clear it, biting on his tongue. He didn't want to think about that. Not that, it was the past. It didn't matter. "Thanks dad." He whispered.

Burt and Carole let him go back up to bed after that. Kurt didn't go back to sleep though, the memory of snapping jaws and loud barking was still too close for him to even close his eyes for longer than it took to blink. He just sat there against his pillows, hugging his knees to his chest.

It was a quick decision to turn on the night light hidden away in the back of his closet until sunrise.

~.~.~.~

Kurt listened intently to his father and step-brother moving about the house at seven thirty. He still hadn't gone back to sleep. Burt had called the school a few minutes earlier to tell them that Kurt was staying home, but Finn seemed to have not heard as he barged into Kurt's room.

"Come on Kurt, we're gonna be late."

"I'm not going." Kurt said.

Finn tilted his head a bit to the side in confusion. "Why not?"

"Nightmares." Kurt offered the answer.

"Oh," Finn went quiet, knowing just how bad Kurt's nightmares could get. People always called him stupid, but to Kurt he was pretty bright. So what if he didn't know the square root of twelve? Kurt couldn't recall it off the top of his head either. His brother was smarter in different ways, like knowing how to cheer someone up most of the time. Or knowing when they wanted to be left alone. "Want me to grab your homework?"

"Please?" Kurt asked him. Even if he was missing school, it was no excuse to miss homework, not if Finn was offering to get it for him.

"No problem." He turned to leave before stopping. "Kurt…was the nightmare about the other night? When Blaine-"

"Yes Finn." Kurt cut him off. "Please, just…don't mention it again."

Finn nodded, turning to give Kurt a quick hug and a kiss on the top of his head before leaving. Kurt blinked in shock, it wasn't the first time Finn showed affection towards him, but every time he did Kurt was left speechless. They had come so far from being enemies through the football team, to step-brothers who were an unstoppable duo if one was ever unfortunate enough to try and bully Kurt when Finn was around. They also did a few amazing duets together, but only their parents knew that.

Kurt turned off the nightlight, forgetting it was still on, and walked downstairs to get some breakfast. He was going towards the fridge, when he noticed a plate of fruit and cream cheese dip and a cup of milk already placed at his spot on the table. His dad was sitting across from it, waiting for Kurt to sit down. He walked to the table and sat quietly, using his fork to pick up a piece of fruit and dip it in the cream cheese before biting into it.

"I take it you didn't get any more sleep?" Burt broke the silence between the two of them.

Kurt shook his head, swallowing the fruit piece. "No. I've been up since the nightmare."

Burt nodded. "After you eat, go rest. I'm taking the day off to keep an eye on you."

Kurt didn't argue, but he didn't agree either.

Nonetheless, an hour after breakfast, Kurt was back in that dream world. Things were more at peace now. The sun was shining down on the forest-like area that Kurt was in, and he could focus. All around him, things seemed more… defined.

'_Well this certainly is new.' _He looked around, and it was like he was seeing a whole new world. Everything was so different. The trees were taller, flowers closer to him, everything was just so _new_. He could see how the shadows blended into one another, how the light hitting tree leaves just right reflected a hidden color off of the dew. The leaves seemed shades brighter, and tree trunks shades darker. He could almost count the individual pieces of bark on the trees from where he stood.

His hearing was also new. He could hear a squirrel, chattering away in one of the new trees. A mouse or vole was scrambling along the forest floor. Three birds, _sparrows?_ Flew away into the sky from nearby. There was a creek not far from him, a gentle stream that seemed to be never ending. And there, just barely in his hearing range, the soft steps of a newborn fawn. They were unsteady, but Kurt could hear them.

He liked this world. It was different from his nightmare world, different from the waking world. It was peace, a serenity he never wanted to leave. But just staying in one spot would do nothing but bore him. So he stood up and,

He took one paw-step forward. That was when he noticed something he hadn't before. But it made sense, the taller trees, closer flowers, and his speed in his nightmare.

It was because he wasn't himself. He wasn't standing on two legs, but on four. He didn't have feet, they were powerful paws, with claws that sunk into the earth and churned the soil like it was nothing. Long gone were the designer clothes he always wore, to be replaced with snowy gray fur, from the looks of his paws. He couldn't help but look behind him. And yes, there it was. A long, winding tail. Dark fur circled the snowy gray in rings around the extra appendage he now held. The fur on the underside was almost a pure white.

'_Such strange colors, for a forest cat.'_ Kurt thought to himself. He looked more ready to be in a mountain than in all these trees. _'Maybe that's where I ran from.' _His muscles tensed as he thought about the nightmare more. Could he have run from a mountain rage? How far away was one? He couldn't tell with his current location, it was nowhere that he had ever been.

"This is all so different." His ears perked up at the sound of his voice. The translation from meows to clear English took only but a second, as if he had spoken both all his life. "Woah."

Kurt took a few tentative steps forward. It was his dream after all, why shouldn't he explore it a bit? Maybe he could find that creek and have a look at himself. It didn't take him long to get used to using four paws to get around instead of two feet. The nightmare gave him plenty of time to run, now though he was at a slow trot. Faster than a walk, but not fast enough to tire him out easily. He used his ears to guide him to the creek, and jumped at the rumbling that came from him when he found the sound was getting louder.

'_Is that…purring? I can purr?'_ The sound continued, and he smiled. _'I can purr.'_

He reached the creek and peered over the bank to see himself. Familiar blue-gold eyes stared back at him, a teal tint the only thing separating them from his human eyes. His fur was dotted with darker spots, and around his eyes dark fur accented the teal coloring. His ears were the same dark color, but his muzzle was a pure white.

He couldn't help but love this dream. Everything was so… perfect. There were almost no words for it. _'After the week I've had, I think I deserve some perfect.'_ Although he had just had a glass of milk not long ago, he was feeling pretty thirsty. For a dream, the thirst sure did seem real. He shook the feeling off and leaned his head down. _'It can't be that hard to drink as a cat, I've see Brittany's do it enough when I'm over there.'_ He lapped at the cool water, eyes widening as he did. His sense of taste was different too. Usually, water had no taste to him, unless he added in some flavor packet to it. Now though, it tasted of coolness, spring, and other animals.

He raised his head up, keeping his mouth open and breathing in. It was something instinctual, he didn't think as he did it. The scents were even more powerful when he did though. There were so many different ones that it was hard to point them all out. He didn't know most of them, but one was pretty easy to point out. The smell of wild parsley, he used it often enough when he cooked. It was actually his favorite.

~.~.~.~

All too soon, he could feel the familiar pull of his body waking up. His paws slowly became transparent, and he couldn't help but watch them. It didn't hurt, there was actually no feeling to it. He was simply going back to the waking world. He looked up, desperate to get even just one glance of something new in his surroundings before he awoke.

And he got his wish, as intense, blue eyes that shone like ice chips, stared right back at him. He blinked once, and when his eyes opened, he was back in his bedroom. His phone said it was nearly noon, a five hour nap. It also said that he had quite a few messages from different people. He chose to ignore those for now and got up. He felt hungry, but strangely, he wasn't thirsty. And the taste of coolness, spring, and other animals was still fresh on his tongue.

"You better have a good reason as to why you are not in the choir room."

Kurt began to wonder exactly why it was Rachel that called him. After eating and watching some TV with his dad, Kurt returned to his room to read through the text messages. He ended up deleting four, and replying to the five others. And soon after that, Rachel had called him.

"I'm sick." He explained. "There's no way I could come to school today, besides," he looked at the inhaler beside his bed. "I need to get the refill for my inhaler before I can come to school. Or would you rather me have an asthma attack and be out of your way so you can have all the solos as always?" Kurt finished with a snip. Nightmares or not, there was no reason to lose his title as Ice Queen of McKinley.

"We need to start practicing for Nationals! Now I know you're sore about what happened between you and Blaine," Kurt growled lowly as she mentioned it. "But you deserved it."

"Did you not hear me? I'm sick." Kurt snapped. "Get it through your thick head"

"What happened between Kurt and the other dolphin?" Brittany asked quietly in the background. "I mean, he came here and then my Kurtie got all sad. He started screaming when we had a sleepover and Lord Tubbington had to wake him up with a bad smelling ball of yarn."

"Don't worry about Britt, I gots this." Kurt could hear Rachel protest something weakly before Santana spoke loud and clear. "Porce, Coach wants you after school. She said if you're sick then you need to call her. And don't worry about the refill, Britt has your extra here so your dad can get it when you're at school tomorrow." She paused for a second, "And Mike and Tina say to get well soon."

Kurt smiled softly. If only it were that easy. "Thanks…and I'll call her. I should do that now actually, see what she wants."

"You should. And you should tell Britt what happened between you and preppy five-year-old."

"Kurt dated a five-year-old?" Brittany questioned.

"Maybe you need another name for him, so Britt doesn't think I'm a pedophile." Kurt laughed lightly before sobering. "I'll tell her at our next sleepover, it's tomorrow right?"

"Yes it is and you better tell her. I'll hang up now so you can call coach."

"Bye San." Kurt hit the end button before going to his contacts and pulling up the only teacher's number he had. "Hi Aunt Sue!"

Of course, the woman wasn't really his aunt, but after he came back from Dalton she just sort of fell into the role. He would always hang around her office during free periods, and she made sure he had protection from bullies at all times. He just started calling her 'Aunt Sue' at the end of last year, and she never stopped him.

"Porcelain, I want you back on the Cheerios starting tomorrow. I won't have my secret weapon getting slushied every other day and ruining that voice." Sue commanded.

Kurt smiled. "I was just gonna ask if I could rejoin. I- I don't really want to be in Glee Club right now. Maybe later, but if he's there, I just can't right now."

"I'll have Sandbags and Blondie bring your outfit to you. And if the practices ever get to be too much then just sit them out, and do _not _forget your inhaler and stretches!"

"I promise I won't." Kurt agreed.

He hung up after that and looked at the clock. It was close to one, which meant his step-brother wouldn't be home for another hour and a half, and Carole should be back in about thirty minutes. '_Maybe another nap? See if I can't get back into _that_ dream.'_Kurt got comfortable underneath the quilt on his bed, subconsciously curling up and resting his hands near his head low on the pillow.

His eyes slowly shut, and the next time he opened them, all he could see was darkness. As his eyes adjusted though, he found himself in a small den. Above him were the roots of a tree, allowing a bit of sunlight in between them. His paws lightly batted at what he was laying on, a layer of what seemed to be moss, ferns, and willow branches. A new scent hit his nose in the den, one he didn't quite find during his first trip. Kurt looked around.

"What's that?" His ears flattened as he saw what it was. "Ugh…I may be a forest cat, but come on, I'll eat fancy feast before I eat a mouse!" His mind wandered to how he got into the den in the first place. When he last left, he was by the river. "Dreams are so weird." He muttered, standing up and stretching. The powerful muscles that stretched taunt under his fur and skin were a welcome relief from just the skin and bones his human body possessed. He had some muscle, but recent events had stopped his progress on getting them toned.

The sun felt warm on his back as he padded out of the den. It was the same forest, as far as he could tell. He took a few seconds to smooth down the fur on his chest, he didn't realize he was doing it until the third lick. The cat things were just so odd for him, his mind was screaming at him to find a way out. But something in his heart pulled him into the forest, pulled him into this form in his dreams. His pawsteps were still a bit unsteady, and he stumbled over roots and a few stray branches, but he was following the pull. Kurt could pick up the scents of different animals, squirrels, mice, even another cat or two. His mind just automatically pulled up pictures of the animals as he came across the scents. Squirrels reminded him of acorns, pines, and strangely of Puck. Mice had a more earthy smell, and the sweet scent reminded him of Tina and Quinn.

He felt a pang of sorrow in his chest as he remembered the two girls. Two of his swans. They weren't his swans any longer though, he only had two now.

The spotted cat shook off the feeling. It was the past now.

The two cat scents, one reminded him of the sharp scent that Dalton held within its walls. There was another with it, similar to the first. The separate scent, reminded him of flowers, of love, of _home_.

His ears perked up at the scent. With the smell of flowers and love and home, was one that he remembered oh so clearly. The same one that he could smell in the ornament he made for Christmas, the same one that haunted his nightmares for seven long years. He mewed only one word,

"Mom."

And awoke to Finn lying down beside him.

* * *

That night was another nightmare.

After Finn had woken him up from his nap, Kurt saw it was only three. He wanted to go back to sleep so badly, to follow the scent to wherever it may lead. But he couldn't. Not even with Finn's warmth beside him. He was wide awake, his body fully rested after not being able to sleep for so long. Finn had been sent up by Burt to check on him, and told Kurt that he was freezing, that the whole room was freezing. Even under the blanket, Kurt could feel the cold. It was such a drastic difference from the warmth he felt on his back. So Finn laid down with him, hoping to warm his step-brother up.

It worked, and around three fifteen, the two boys were downstairs doing homework as Carole told them of her day. She always had the most ridiculous stories of things that people called in for. After homework was done and Carole had moved to the kitchen to cook, Finn went to his room to play video games and Kurt stayed downstairs to read Vogue as his father watched some game on TV. It was a typical day, except for the silence that filled the room where Kurt's cell would usually be. But the device was upstairs, turned off after his chat with Sylvester. He would not mind if it never rang again, except for if it was San, Britt, or the cheerleading coach.

But that was too much to ask for. He knew it would ring again. He knew who it would be. And he was dreading that talk so much.

Night came soon after dinner, and Kurt was exhausted again. Carole made sure he had eaten everything, and Burt just watched in amazement. His son always had a small apatite, yet here was Carole, making him eat just like Elizabeth used to do if Kurt was being fussy. Both Burt and Carole noticed Kurt's apatite slowly getting smaller and smaller one day after school, and Carole had enough. Obviously it was affected the boy badly if his nightmares were coming back and he was always tired, she could tell he lost weight too.

All of the food had made him sleepy, and he was fast asleep by ten thirty, after making sure the nightlight was on. But all it could do was chase away the monsters in the waking world. His dream world, his nightmares, were like an open invitation. All he could do in the waking world was toss and turn, biting his lip to keep from screaming. His hands had a tight grip on the sheets again, and his blood pounded in his body.

_Kurt._

The nightmare world, he was once again a cat, once again being chased by the fear that was taking on a corporeal form. The bark this time, did not wake him. He dared to glance back, and he wished that he never had.

It looked like a dog, barked like one, but with piercing red eyes and a wicked grin as it chased him. Its paws left a sticky substance behind as it gave chase, the same substance dripped from its body where fur should have been.

Kurt felt as if his heart would burst out of his chest, it was beating so fast.

_Kurt, sweetheart._

He couldn't hear the voice, but gave his own to a screeching yelp as the form's claws connected with his left foreleg. The blow was enough to send him tumbling to the ground.

_Kurt. Wakeup._

He tried, he tried so hard to listen to the voice, to hear what it was saying and to obey it. But as the creature loomed over him, all he could do was shut his eyes.

"Kurt!"

A yowled forced his eyes to open, no matter how much he just wanted them to close. Something had slammed into the creature, forcing it back. The creature snarled, the sound coming from it unlike anything Kurt had heard. He scrambled to his paws, looking at what had saved him.

"Run you idiot!" It was another cat, one that he had scented before. He was a bit bulkier than Kurt, with his tail held high in pride behind him. His fur was fluffed out, making him seem even larger, and his lips were drawn back in a snarl of his own, revealing gleaming white teeth. But no matter how fierce the cat looked, he was just so small compared to the dog creature! How could Kurt leave him?

His question was answered as the thing came at the other cat. The cat's eyes glowed for a second, and the dog ran into something invisible. Its teeth snapped at the cat, but could not touch him. "Did you not hear me?" The cat hissed. "Run!"

_Wake up, my son._

The dog saw him again, its paw came slamming down.

And Kurt awoke in his own bed once more, but this time, there was no scream to follow.

* * *

**A/N: Not much dialogue in this chapter, but it's just Chapter 1, so don't worry! I meant to be a bit vague with things too, not so much with the dreams, but what is going on in the waking world. The warning at the top should explain what happened before this though. **

**And as I stated in the warnings, this is a supernatural(not the show) story. It combines a few different elements from different shows/books, the ones that are visible and easily found right now, are Warriors(the forest setting, the nest Kurt woke up in, and Kurt's feline build are all based on ThunderClan cats and things, and the dreams are based off of the Warriors series as a whole.) and of course, Glee. More will make an appearance, but there is only one that plays a HUGE role in this story.**

**This will (hopefully) be the only A/N that is super long, because it is Chapter 1. **

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING MENTIONED IN THIS STORY. NOT WARRIORS, NOT GLEE, NOT THE OTHER SHOWS/BOOKS THAT WILL BE MIXED IN. I OWN NO BRAND NAMES, NOR THE SITES THIS IS POSTED ON.**

**I hope you liked this chapter, and expect chapter 2 to be up ASAP. And for those of you who read this who are waiting for Paradise Lost, I can assure you, the next chapter is almost done. I just have to figure out a few kinks I have in the plot(I've written out a chapter that is way ahead of where I am now, and I'm just lining everything up to match that chapter.) and for your patience, here's a little sneak peak: Cale and Kurt have a heart to heart that includes Burt, and it's not as awkward as they thought it would be. Meanwhile, back at Dalton, two students are growing closer together, and another two can't seemed to fit their string onto their fingers, not with the knot being so small. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: MAJOR NOTE THAT WAS FORGOTTEN IN THE LAST CHAPTER: EVERYTHING WAS PUSHED BACK A YEAR. SO FIRST YEAR OF GLEE CLUB WAS FRESHMAN YEAR FOR KURT, SANTANA, BRITTANY, RACHEL, FINN, PUCK, MERCEDES, AND YOU KNOW THE REST. EVERYONE ELSE WAS IN EIGHT GRADE, BUT WERE ALLOWED TO JOIN DUE TO HOW SMALL THE GROUP WAS. ARTIE AND TINA ARE NOW THE SAME AGE AS KURT AND MERCEDES(to explain how they were able to be one of the first five to sign up.) This means Season 3 is actually junior year. Now, this is NEEDED for the plot, due to a few people who graduated that need to be in school still.)**

**I see so many people making Kurt's Cheerio outfit seem so sexy. I wanted to tone it down to look a bit like S1, but like a size smaller on the pants. So he can still hide behind it like he did the layers.  
**

**I'm gonna play nice and tell a bit of a spoiler that plays into what happened in "Sadie Hawkins": Trent will play a major role in this story.**

**The song in this chapter is There is Life by Alison Krauss(from Bambi 2) sung by Kurt and Elizabeth**

_Italics are song lyrics, and flashbacks._

**Chapter 2: For it's out of the darkness that we learn to see.**

* * *

"I'm not so sure about this San, what is everyone gonna say?"

Santana sighed as she leaned against the stall door. She and Brittany were waiting for Kurt to change into his Cheerio outfit. It wasn't anything special, similar to the outfit he wore two years ago. The shirt and pants were just a bit tighter, nothing more. Coach Sylvester didn't want him showing off everything he has, and no way in hell was anyone going to be leering at her 'nephew'. She made it acceptably- by Burt's standards- modest yet flattering.

"Kurtie, at least you aren't in a skirt that leaves nothing to the imagination and a shirt that makes your boobs looks smaller than they are." Santana retorted, trying to open the door from the outside. She jumped back in surprise as it swung open when Kurt undid the latch. "See? It's perfect. You can breathe in it, yet it leaves people wondering."

Kurt grimaced. He didn't want anyone wondering anything, it was why he always wore long sleeves and pants, or the occasional skirt that reached mid-thigh with leggings that ended off about three inches into knee-high boots. He took great pride in his fashion, and how it showed off nothing.

"Come on, wipe that look off of your face." Santana said in a softer tone. "You look amazing in it just like you did before."

Kurt couldn't help but smile.

Brittany squeaked and hugged the boy close, nuzzling into his arm. "My kitten's back!"

"I thought I was a dolphin?" Kurt pouted.

"Nope." Brittany shook her head, her blonde ponytail flipping with the movement. "Lord Tubbington really likes you, so you're a kitten. They can be gay raccoons."

Santana snickered. "Just leave it. Come on, we have a school to impress."

She linked arms with Kurt, and watched Brittany closely as the girl skipped ahead of them. Together, the three of them met up with two other cheerleaders, and Becky.

"Hi girls, Becky." Kurt said warmly.

"Looking good Kurt." The two girls said, flashing him flirty smiles. It was all just pretend, of course. A show that Sylvester told them to put on. The girls were all friends with Kurt, and willing to help him out.

"Coach wants to see you after homeroom." Becky informed him. Kurt nodded, offering his other arm to the girl, and continued walking when she did. The two other girls followed behind.

"Aren't we a strange group." Kurt joked. "Doesn't Coach usually put us in groups of three?"

"Usually." One of the girls, Sammy said. "But it's your first day, and she doesn't know how… _they _will react."

"She wants you safe." The other, Kate added. "So you'll have three of us with you at a time. At least until next week."

Kurt sighed. The protection wasn't really needed. He would talk to Coach about it after homeroom.

* * *

After homeroom, Kurt found himself spending first, second, and third hour in the cheerleading coach's office, lying down on the long but thin couch in the room. He wasn't asleep, just thinking.

"Aunt Sue," He began hesitantly, "do I still have to be in Glee?"

"I told you yesterday that you did not." She replied, not looking up from the paper she was filling out. "I don't trust Shuester to keep you safe enough."

Kurt nodded, looking towards the door as Becky walked in. It was passing period now, and in two minutes, fourth hour would begin. As he sat up, Sue fixed him with a look that told him to lie back down.

"Your father told me about the nightmares. You're not going to class today. After school Sandbags and Blondie are taking you to that club meeting, and explaining that you three are no longer a part of them. That will be stressful enough without classes."

Kurt lay back down. "What about homework?"

"Coach had me take it to your teachers and get your new work." Becky piped up, sitting in the chair next to Kurt.

Kurt gave the girl a warm smile. "Thanks Becky." He always liked the other cheerleader, even when he wasn't on the squad. Sure, some people may say that she had a bitchy attitude, or try and make fun of her for being different. But all Kurt could see is a sweet girl whose attitude was a defense, just like his. His mother taught him how to see past all sorts of things, and she could never stress enough how important it was to see past mental and physical differences.

It was because she herself was a bit different. Kurt didn't know it back then, but when he was ten his father explained how his mother was almost classified as bi-polar. Kurt didn't understand it until he was fifteen, he thought bi-polar was just a bunch of mood swings and madness. But after researching it, he found it was more. It explained why she always pressed Kurt to be nice to everyone.

Except for bullies. Her explanation for dealing with them was to beat them down however possible.

Kurt pulled out his phone, there was no use in just lying around anymore. He saw that quite a few people had texted him, and not just the New Directions. The occasional text from a warbler or two were mixed in there. Nick wanted to know what happened, Jeff wondered if he was alright.

And Wes, strangely, texted him Warbler practice times.

**You do know I'm not a Warbler anymore, correct? Or did David finally get a hold of that gavel and hit you on the head with it?** Kurt texted back.

The other texts from Warblers were just ones he expected, different hellos or replies to earlier texts. One was from Chandler, once again apologizing for causing trouble. One from his dad, reminding him to pick up his prescription- Sue had done that earlier without Kurt knowing- and that he would be working late at the garage.

Finn texted him, making sure he was ok, and Mike sent his e-mail a file of the notes in their shared classes. The two boys being the only ones, besides Brittany and Santana, to still be his friend after the split with Blaine.

And speaking of his ex, there were quite a few messages from him too, just formal stuff like Kurt getting his stuff back from Blaine, bringing whatever of Blaine's things that were at his house to school for him, saying he could keep the ring.

The ring.

Kurt's heart stopped for a moment as he thought of the ring and the promises that came with it. He still had the ring on a chain around his neck, in a small plastic case to keep it safe. It was tucked under his shirt, but he brought it out and held it tightly in his hand as he typed out a sharp reply. **I'll burn the damned thing before I ever think of keeping it, better yet, I'll let Sophie have it.**

Sophie was Coach Sylvester's newest Cheerio, a fairly large Rottweiler, with a beautiful coat and muscles that could make Puckerman tremble in fear. She was currently asleep under the couch that Kurt occupied. The countertenor fumbled with the chain around his neck for a moment before decided. He unclipped it, opening up the little box it was holding and pulling out the ring. _'I don't love you anymore. How can I when you trust a few stupid messages over me?'_ He whistled for Sophie before dropping the ring on the floor. Getting rid of the last bit of his relationship with Blaine that he still held on to.

* * *

The last hour of school seemed to just drag by, even when Santana and Brittany came in to keep him company. They were greeted by the amusing sight of Kurt being crushed into the couch by Sophie, who was licking the boy's face. Kurt was laughing and trying to block the dog with his arms, but she would only put a light, playful pressure on them with her jaws when he did. Their playing stopped as Santana and Brittany drug the dog off of him. The final bell rang, and Kurt sobered. Any evidence of playfulness was gone from his face, replaced with the ice mask he was so well-known for.

"Come on, let's get going." Santana said, wrapping one arm around Kurt's waist. Brittany led them to the choir room, and Kurt couldn't help but notice the differences in his girl from the last time he was this close to her. She seemed more graceful, her steps flowing like she calculated them evenly, unlike her usual bounce. Her back was straight, a bit tense. Kurt was sure that if she had animal ears, they would be alert.

'_That's what's different.'_ Kurt thought. _'Is she having the same dreams as me? She seems more cat-like.'_

Brittany tensed even more as they came closer to the choir room. Voices could be heard coming from the usually silent room. Even when they were singing, the walls were thick enough to hold their voices inside. Now though, shouting escaped the room like thunder. Kurt could recognize the voices, but didn't believe them to be real.

"It's all your fault!"

"My fault?! You're the one who broke him!"

"If you had just died-"

Kurt ran ahead of Brittany and slammed the door open at the sharp retort that left- _'Sebastian?'_s- mouth. He stopped in the doorway.

Chandler was standing tall next to Dave, who was recoiling back at Sebastian's voice. Next to the smirking Warbler, was Blaine. Their fingers entwined together.

"Kurt!" Chandler was the first to speak to the newcomers. Dave whipped his head around to look at the cheerio, blinking in surprise.

"You're a Cheerio again?"

Kurt's eyes weren't on them though. Santana and Brittany came to stand next to him as he looked at Blaine, the other boy not meeting his gaze.

"So, I'm the cheater here?" Kurt found his voice, an icy sound. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest, and his mind screamed at him to get away. Something inside him though made him stay put, made him face his recent ex-boyfriend and the meerkat instead of turning to the snarling creature he knew stood behind him. "Or am I just that forgettable?"

"Where do you think he's been this past month? Certainly not in your bed." Sebastian smirked. The image Kurt's mind gave him, the creature, with the same eyes as Sebastian's, the same scent as the forest.

Suddenly, he wasn't in the choir room. He was back in the dream. The creature was so close to getting him, but this time, the other cat wasn't there. There was something else between him and the creature, a heat that threatened to overtake the whole forest. The snarling sounded so much real, almost like, it was coming from him. His vision cleared and he was back in the choir room. He wasn't snarling, but the way that everyone stared at him told him that he was growling. He was facing one of the beasts from his dreams.

The other cat from that dream couldn't save him now.

"So you can sleep with that…that _whore_. Yet when I text a friend, a friend who is dating my other _friend_, suddenly I'm public enemy number one?" Kurt's voice never rose from the ice, if anything it gained more frost to it. Even in the waking world, he could feel his tail lashing behind him, the snow-gray ears flatten against light brown hair. "A month, after what he did, after everything-" Kurt took a step forward and Santana rushed up to him.

"Kurt," Chandler took a step towards the boy at the same time as Finn. Mike and Dave stopped them.

"I should've known. But no, I let you _play _me, like you always have." The growling behind him got louder, and he noticed how Brittany flinched beside him. Maybe they did share the same dreams. There was no time to think about it though. "First Jeremiah, then Rachel, me and Sebastian, who else have you been playing?! Jeff? Nick? Trent? Or did you try and go after Finn?"

"No one." Blaine finally spoke. "And like you can talk! This past month you've been texting Chandler-"

"Because my _boyfriend_ wouldn't even look at me during class!" Kurt's voice finally rose. "Even when we were together, my _dear_ boyfriend turned down sex! Because he was too busy fucking some low-class Paris slut! What's wrong? Too ashamed about it to even break up with me when it first started?"

"He only went to Sebastian because you were ignor-"

"I was not and you know it Rachel!" Kurt wasn't about to let any of them finish even one thought. The creature's jaws were snapping behind him and Brittany was moving closer to him. He had to calm down, if not for his sake, then for Brittany's. He grabbed one of her hands, grounding himself with the simple touch. "If this is how things are going to be, fine. You'll still have twelve members after today. But me, Britt, and San? We quit."

"Coach wants us to stop wasting our talents in this stupid club and use them in a better way." Santana said smugly. "And with Porce back on the team, the Cheerios are the better way."

The girls turned to leave, and Kurt looked at the rest of New Directions. His former friends, all siding with Blaine.

"Think Coach'll let me on the team this time?" Finn whispered, standing beside Kurt suddenly.

"Finn! Mike! Get back over here! We have to practice for _Nationals_!" Rachel's shrill voice broke the tension.

Mike looked back at Rachel, glaring at the small show choir. "Family comes first." Was the only thing he said before leading Kurt out to follow the girls.

* * *

Growling filled the forest, and this time it wasn't from the dog creature. The sun was shining brightly through the trees as Kurt paced along the river. The growling was coming from him, a low sound that was almost feral.

"I should've known that stupid meerkat would invade my nightmares." He spat. The snow-gray tail behind him was lashing with fury. "And to find out that he was cheating all along…rawr!" Kurt yowled, pouncing on a twig like a kit. His claws dug deep into the bark before he jumped away from it. He turned his gaze to the river, a teal-tinted golden color looked back at him. The combination of colors made his eyes seem to glow, much like his glasz ones in his human form.

"Your technique is just like a kittens still."

Kurt tensed at the new voice. It sounded familiar, but the new language was something he was getting used to still, only ever hearing his own meow. It took him a moment to translate what was said, and even longer to notice another cat's reflection from across the river. Warm, gentle eyes glanced at him before returning to the other cat's own reflection. The golden color shone as bright as the sun, with green, blue, and gray flecks highlighting the magnificent color.

"Then again, you haven't been here since you were eight." The cat, a she-cat with light brown fur that blended into a dark black at her paws, ears, and tail, spoke again. It was a bit easier for Kurt to understand, and he realized that it was not a meow this time, but pure English.

"How do you know that?" He asked, backing up a bit away from the river. "Who are you?"

She purred at the smaller cat before answering, "Come on now sweetheart, I know you can use that nose of yours still."

At the mention of his nose, it twitched, and the familiar scent finally hit him. The scent of spring, the scent of lilies and apples and _home_. His eyes widened, Kurt guessed he could make an owl look normal with his gaze.

Standing in front of him, with tail twitching in amusement and whiskers dancing in the light breeze, was Elizabeth. His mother was here, standing right in front of him. The only difference to be seen was how she was a cat, and somewhat transparent. She was like a ghost, she _was_ a ghost. But when she waded through the water, it formed around her paws like it would his own. The water stained the grass that she touched once she reached the side Kurt was on.

Kurt was frozen. After not seeing her for so long, he had almost forgotten her. But now the memories flooded back, crashing into him worse than any locker shove he had ever received. Her scent was the same, the exact same perfume that had faded some time ago from her dresser. Her eyes were just as warm as he remembered them. "M-Momma…"

"Hello, my darling son." She purred, touching noses with him.

"Is…is it really you?" He couldn't believe this. That his dreams would be so cruel to do this to him.

But was it just a trick? He thought back to that day, how Brittany seemed to react to everything the others couldn't see. If she was here too, why couldn't his mother be?

Even her laugh was the same. "Kurtie," the forest hummed around them. "Would a song prove it to you?"

Kurt nodded numbly.

Elizabeth padded closer to him, giving his cheek a loving lick. _"Under the snow, beneath the frozen streams, there is life." _Even her singing was just as Kurt remembered. _"You'll have to know when nature sleeps she dreams, there is life." _Her tail twined with Kurt's as he leaned against her side.

"_And the colder the winter, the warmer the spring."_

_Kurt shivered in the bitter cold as he followed Elizabeth into the house. Even under the designer coat and pants, the five year old was frozen. "Momma, it's too cold!" He complained._

_Elizabeth laughed. "Sweetheart, that just means that spring will be warm. And you can play outside more."_

"_The deeper the sorrow, the more our hearts sing"_

_Kurt eyes watered as he looked into the hospital room. They weren't allowing him inside, they barely even agreed to his father being in there. He knew what was going on. And even then, he murmured a familiar tune under his breath._

"_Even when you can't see it inside everything" _Kurt tucked his head under his mother's chin, his ears flattening down as he let out a choked purr.

"_There is life" _Elizabeth pawed gently at a flower in front of them. It was just a simple purple flower, nothing more. But it was so beautiful to them in that moment.

"_After the rain the sun will reappear. There is life"_

_Elizabeth smiled at her impatient son. The six year old was sitting at the window, waiting for Burt to get home from work so he could show off the new broach that his mother bought him today. The rain pouring down did nothing to damper the boy's excitement as he saw the familiar truck pull into the driveway. As Kurt ran outside to greet his father, the rain stopped and the sun shone out through a break in the clouds._

"_After the pain the joy will still be here. There is life."_

_Elizabeth's death was on a Saturday. The very next day, his grandmother skipped church just to take him to New York for the first time._

_Burt's heart attack had paralyzed Kurt, but with Mercedes he had found a new hope, and possibly a new faith in humanity._

_Dave's threat, Blaine's saving._

_His uncle's remarrying, a new cousin that he already knew as a friend._

_Blaine's mistake. _And Kurt finding his mother still alive in his dreams.

"_For it's out of the darkness that we learn to see." _Elizabeth playfully covered Kurt's eyes with one of her paws. Kurt shook his head in laughter, trying to get her paw off of his head.

"_And out of the silence that songs come to be. And all that we dream of awaits patently." _Her beautiful voice filled the forest, soon joined by another as Kurt finally found his voice.

"_There is life, there is life"_

* * *

Kurt walked into school with a new bounce in his step. He felt invincible, like he could take on the world and win without a scratch. Nothing could hurt him, not even the glares he received as he met up with Mike and Brittany at his locker.

"Well, someone had a good night." Mike joked. "Did Uncle Burt give you a raise at the shop or something? Oh no, don't tell me, you found out what my mom's getting you for your birthday?"

"Neither." Kurt smiled. "Though, if you want to tell me that, I'm not against it." He teased, getting his books from his locker before Brittany knocked them right back in with a tight hug.

"I'm so happy for you kitten." She whispered. "You found your home." Kurt wanted so badly to purr, but he couldn't in the waking world.

Mike grabbed Kurt's books for him as the other boy twirled Brittany in a laughter filled dance, stopping only as Kurt's phone rang. He grabbed it from the pocket of his uniform, noticing it was Wes calling. "Hello?" He asked in confusion.

"Did you get the list?"

"Wes, I'm not a Warbler."

"Not what I asked."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Wesley, I got your damned list. I also have news that one of your little songbirds was sleeping around with Anderson before he accused me of cheating."

"I knew something was up!" Kurt guessed that Wes was in Trent's dorm room as the boy spoke up. "I'm sorry Kurt, if I knew that was what he was doing I would've said something."

Kurt smiled. Out of all the Warblers, Trent was one of his best friends. Wes was a close second, and both Nick and Jeff held third place. "It's fine Sunny." He laughed. "I don't blame you."

"I expect you here tonight Kurt, tell Burt that you're staying the night."

"Wes, it's only Thursday." There was no way Burt would let him miss school, let alone drive from Dalton to McKinley in the morning.

"I know it is." Wes sighed. "Kurt, just trust me ok? Come spend the night with me and your little marshmallow and Niff."

Now Kurt knew something was up. "How about you tell me what this is about?"

"Kurt, it's in your best interest that you come over so a _catty_ fight doesn't start and we can sort out this _furry_ little problem."

Kurt froze. Wes' words both confused him and confirmed what he had thought before with Brittany. Had the other boy been to the same place he had in his dreams? He must've, that or one of the other Warblers had and they told him. Either way, maybe Wes could explain a bit more about what that place was, and why the dreams and nightmares were happening.

* * *

**A/N: about the marshmallow when Wes tells Kurt to spend the night, that refers to Trent. He's always been my favorite Warbler right after Kurt, and the recent episode I began to piss my cousin off by referring to Trent as a "cute little marshmallow that I just want to cuddle to death and hide from everything bad in the world". And that came from a cat post on Tumblr with a mother cat and two fluffy white kittens. So Trent is the fluffy little marshmallow that Kurt loves to spoil like a little brother.**

**So, what do you think about the little twist? With Mike being Kurt's cousin?(just through marriage. His mom married Kurt's uncle) I wanted him to have a bigger role in the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So now Kurt's spending the night with the Warblers! Maybe Wes can give him some insight as to what's going on in the dreams? **

**And I'm sorry for readers who have no idea what I am talking about on some things. If you want me to explain more, leave a review and tell me to! I'll explain at the bottom of chapters whatever it is you need explained. (Except if it's a key point in the plot that is going to explain itself.) Here's a small explanation for what's in this chapter, the word Kittypet, it means a cat kept by humans as a pet.**

**Note: Apparently…we can tag four characters now? If so…the other two major characters(both of which have been included so far) will be tagged probably when this chapter goes up)**

**Chapter 3: A mistake, a disaster, a mentor**

* * *

Amazingly, Burt allowed Kurt to stay at Dalton for the night and Friday.

Kurt told him that Wes knew about Kurt's nightmares, and wanted to try something to help him. Both Burt and Carole readily agreed to Kurt staying with the older Warbler. They would do anything to help their son out, if only so he could get a good night's sleep.

Since he didn't go to Glee, and Wes was driving to pick him up at eight, Kurt had time to kill. He decided to kill it, by napping. Secretly, he was hoping to see his mother again, but he was also curious about who else visited that dream realm.

'_They won't be there now, but maybe I'll recognize someone's scent.'_ He reasoned, setting his alarm for six thirty before lying down.

This time, when Kurt opened his eyes, he was in the den again, but so was another cat. His heart warmed when he recognized the dark cream fur. It was like she was still alive, her breathing steady as she slept. His mother was here. She wasn't just something he dreamed up, she couldn't be. He pressed his nose to the top of her head in a gentle kiss before walking out of the small entrance through the roots of the tree. Everything looked the same for the most part. There were spaces where he could tell a squirrel or other animal had been at, and it seemed to have rained between now and his last visit.

Kurt twitched his nose, trying to catch any new scents. It didn't have the effect he wanted though. He could smell things, but it wasn't as strong. _'What's that thing that Britt's cat always does…?'_

"Try opening your mouth and breathing in, sweetheart." His mother's amused purr came from the entrance of the den. "You'll get more scents."

Kurt breathed in through his mouth, and it was like a whole different world. Each scent had a different taste to it too. The earth tasted like vegetables, or rather the vegetables he remembered tasted like the earth. It wasn't appealing to him. He could taste the moisture in the air, more proof that it had rained. A few of the scents made his mouth water, and he was horrified to find that the scents were squirrel, mouse, birds, all prey animals.

Elizabeth laughed at her son's expression. "I take it you found the prey?" Kurt nodded. "It may seem strange Kurt, but to your cat self, it'll taste pretty good."  
"I'd rather not try them." Kurt admitted.

"You don't have to try the land ones, but at least try a fish." Kurt's ears perked up. Fish was a guilty pleasure food of his. It was good for you, but the guilty pleasure part was that he liked it raw, as a cat _and_ human. He was pretty sure that wasn't good for a person. His hair didn't mind it though, and neither did his fur from what he saw. It was sleek, like it was made just for swimming. "You don't have to try it now, let's focus on finding out what you wanted to find."

Kurt nodded, taking a deep breath again. This time, he ignored the prey scents, and was able to pick up the faint smell of… root beer.

"Brittany." He concluded, remembering how the girl said she rinsed with the stuff. No wonder she had tasted like it when they made out.

"Pretty girl? Calls you her dolphin?" Elizabeth questioned.

Kurt nodded. "That's my Britt." There was another scent, but he couldn't make out who it was. "Can you give me a hint on the other?"

"Hmm…Well he's a fine hunter, I can tell you that. Takes to cat life like a bird to a song."

Kurt flicked one of his ears, a tic that he was slowly getting used to. He couldn't tell who it was just from that. "Is there anything else to do?"

Elizabeth thought for a second, hesitating a second more before speaking. "Battle training…I mean, training here keeps you sharp in the waking world."

That caught Kurt's attention. No one but Coach knew it, but Kurt had a secret love for defensive fighting. He hid it behind all the fashion and singing, but he could hold his own. It started after he transferred to Dalton. Coach Sylvester had secretly signed him up for defense classes at a nearby gym, and he fell in love with how much like dancing it was. "What can I learn? Can we try it now?"

"Of course we can." Elizabeth purred. "It's pretty unheard of here for a mother to teach her own kits though, so after this time I'll find you a better teacher. For now, close your eyes."

Kurt shut his eyes, feeling Elizabeth's tail rest gently over them to make sure he wouldn't peek. He could feel his other senses working in overdrive.

"What do you hear?"

Kurt listened closely. He could hear his own heartbeat, his mother's, and something nearby. It was growing closer and closer.

"Tariq! What are you doing here?"

Kurt shook his mother's tail off of his eyes. Standing in front of him was a burly tom, with brown fur that fooled the eyes by being so soft. His eyes were a light brown color, holding warmth and ice simultaneously. What surprised Kurt was how big the cat was. Tariq stood tall beside his mother.

"I heard your little kit finally made his way back here!" Tariq's voice boomed. "Had to check it out for myself. You know mothers can't train their own kits."

"Well you won't be training this one." Elizabeth bristled.

"Oh come on Liz, he can handle it." Tariq looked at Kurt, studying him. Kurt bowed his head. What training were they talking about? The fighting training? There was no way Kurt could train with this cat! He was built like one of the jocks at school. And Kurt, Kurt was small, thin, probably better for speed than anything else. "How about we do a practice fight? See if he can?"

Elizabeth hesitated. "Tariq he's just a kit!"

"A kittypet." Kurt growled. He had no idea what that was, but the way Tariq said it made him think it was nothing good.

"I can take you on!" Kurt mewed. The fur on his back was bristling up, and his tail was lashing fiercely. He was ready for anything!

Except the attack that fell from almost out of nowhere. His muzzle was pressed flat against the dirt as Tariq loomed over him. "Are you sure about that?" The larger cat said teasingly.

Kurt struggled against the hold, looking to his mother, who was watching helplessly. She made a quick jerking motion with her head. Kurt followed it, getting his muzzle out from under Tariq's paw and spinning on his back to kick out at the tom's belly.

Tariq leaped back before Kurt could get a blow in. He waited for Kurt to stand up before attacking, boxing the smaller cat's ears. Kurt hissed, moving back until one of his paws hit something. He smirked, scooping up the object and flinging it at Tariq. The rock smacked him on the nose, only serving to make him angrier.

Their fight was not long, Elizabeth moved between them as soon as she saw claws coming out and blood flying. Kurt was lying on the forest floor, shaking from excitement and fear. Blood welled up on his shoulder, where three claw marks ran deeply past his fur and marred his skin. Tariq was bleeding too, on his chest, were Kurt was able to snag his claws in the muscle there.

Elizabeth glared at Tariq as she turned to Kurt, licking at the wound gently. Kurt hissed lightly as the rough tongue ran over his shoulder, but after a bit, the sting went away. "And right before you meet up with your friends…" Elizabeth muttered.

Why did it matter though? It wasn't like he would have the wounds when he woke up, right?

As Kurt opened his eyes in the waking world though, he found out just how wrong he was. There was a sharp, metallic taste in his mouth, and his head pounded. In the lingering sleep, he could smell something off about his room. Sitting up, he coughed once before opening his eyes, regretting the decision immediately.

His usual white sheets were stained a deep red. Following the small trail, he gasped when he noticed where the color came from.

~.~.~.~.~

Kurt fumbled with the sleeve of his blazer as he walked downstairs. He had five minutes before Wes was supposed to pick him up to take him to Dalton, and he found it only fitting that he dressed the part he was bound to be playing. The loyal Warbler, falling in behind the council and their laws. His old uniform still fit, and he found his Warbler pin- an emerald bird with a small diamond eye- next to his mother's necklace and engagement ring. It was the easiest way to make sure he could stay for Friday. For a private school, Dalton had many students. So long as the Headmaster, or a few of the teachers, didn't catch him, Kurt could get away with staying in a few classes.

That is, of course, if his shoulder healed up. He had a tight wrapping on it, one that he would change later in the night. He was almost certain that it would be as red as his sheets.

_Most father's deal with that when their daughters hit their teens…my father gets to deal with bloody sheets when training with mom goes wrong!_ Kurt knew Burt would never find out the blood. He had stashed the sheets quickly into his hamper, replacing them with the spare set he had in his closet. Never had he been more thankful that he did his own laundry than that night.

As he walked into the living room, Kurt stopped for a second. It wasn't only Wes who had come to pick him up. Talking adamantly to Finn about some game was Jeff, his arm around Nick's waist. Wes was talking to his father about the Warblers.

"Kurt was actually only the second countertenor to be in the Warblers. It's not that common for one to want to join, let alone be in Dalton, so we take the chance every time it pops up. A nice break from the lower ranges."

Kurt smiled as he heard them talking. It was one of the things he liked about Dalton, how his voice was a good thing. At McKinley he was always reminded of how feminine his voice was, high pitched even after puberty. But Dalton just made it seem unique, like a rare prize to be cherished, even if it was silenced by his ex-boyfriend's antics.

"Well, I'm sure the boys will love to hear it again this weekend." He announced, stepping fully into the room. The three Warblers turned to look at him, and Jeff gave him a dopey grin.

"Nice Kurt! I didn't think you still had that thing!"

Kurt shrugged, twirling around once to show off the full uniform. "I couldn't go in my cheer outfit, could I?"

"Nah," Nick snickered, "the guys would love that a bit too much."

Wes gave him a warm smile and stood up to hug the slightly shorter boy. "I think this outfit suits you better." He admitted. "And it's good to see you again."

Kurt returned the hug, resting his head on Wes' shoulder. "It's good to see you too." They broke apart and Kurt was dragged down onto the couch between Jeff and Nick, trapped in the boys' arms. As the former Warbler looked over the council leader, his mind was set that it _was_ Wes' scent he picked up. His eyes held a cat-like sharpness, and even when relaxed, he looked ready to fight. Almost invisible to everyone else, were a few scars on his face and neck. Kurt didn't doubt that there were more hidden under the blazer. He looked _dangerous_.

_Like mine? Or…has Wes never lost?_ He looked over Nick and Jeff. Neither of them seemed any different. Still the same old jokers, the same lovers they always were. Jeff still loved to snuggle, curling up into Kurt's side and abandoning his talk with Finn. Nick was more than content to rest Kurt's head on his shoulder.

Burt shook his head at the three boys on the couch. Never in his life, not since Elizabeth's death, had he seen Kurt peaceful enough to cuddle with someone like that. "Boys, I want Kurt back safely Sunday night. I know how you love to roughhouse-"

"Daddy." Kurt interrupted. "I'll be fine. I lasted most of last year with them. Three days won't be too bad."

"I know Kurt, I just worry about you.

Kurt smiled. "Nothing to worry about. The guys won't let anything bad happen."

Wes led the three boys outside and to his car, keeping an eye on Kurt. The boy winced as Jeff brushed against his shoulder. As soon as the car doors were shut, Wes locked them. "You're getting those scratches fixed up when we get to Dalton."

Kurt tensed. "Y-you…how…"

"I saw Tariq fighting you." Wes admitted, pulling out of the driveway. "And you flinched, when Jeff touched your shoulder."

"I didn't know things there would affect things here." Kurt whispered, leaning back in his seat. He turned his head to Nick and Jeff. "And you two? Do you…?"

Nick shook his head as Jeff grinned. "Nope. We're not Night Shifters, as Trent calls them. We were just there the first time Wes came out of it with a few scratches. It looked like he had a fight with a thorn bush and lost." Nick snickered.

"Is Trent one?"

Wes nodded. "His explorations are more centralized in a different part of the forest though. Thad is one too, he likes to be alone there. I've seen Brittany there as well, the blonde one?"

"Yeah, that's Britt. Anyone else I know?"

"A couple Warblers." Jeff supplied. "All of the Warblers except for a choice few know about the Night Shifters."

"Trent said he saw a few people from New Directions there from time to time." Nick added. "No names though."

Kurt hummed. So he and Britt weren't the only ones. Thinking back to earlier, he asked, "What about…other creatures in the forest?"

He saw Nick and Jeff tense. Wes gripped the steering wheel tighter. "The dogs, you mean?"

"That _thing_ was a dog?" Kurt guessed at what Wes was referring to. He could still remember the cold feeling of dread he felt when the strange creature tried to eat him all in one bite.

"Not exactly. They were dogs, humans actually. They could visit the forest as freely as we could." Wes smiled. "Don't worry about it now Kurt. Just focus on having fun tonight. You're worlds are about to get a lot bigger."

* * *

Dalton was just as Kurt remembered, right down to the bouncy, hyperactive boys dared to be called an organized group. There were a few new faces; a very small freshman with short brown hair, a sophomore taller than David, and a few others, but everyone else seemed to be the same. There were no seniors last year for Kurt to miss. Only three Warblers weren't there to greet him. _He must be off with Blaine._ Kurt thought as Trent pulled him into a tight hug, being wary of his shoulder.

"It still fits?" Trent grinned, looking at Kurt's outfit.

Kurt nodded. "Yes. I figured it was best to wear it today."

He went through more greetings before Wes pulled him off to the side where the freshman was waiting. He was quite small, Kurt thought he could make Rachel seem tall, and his hands were shaking as they set a first-aid kit onto the table. The freshman's eyes were filled with curiosity and worry, their light brown color reflecting the light of the room.

_He can't be any more than a kit!_ Kurt surprised himself with the thought.

"Kurt, this is Devin." Wes introduced. Kurt thought the name matched him, Devin meaning little black one in Irish. "Devin, he has a few scratches on his shoulder, think you can handle it?"

Devin jumped at the question and nodded. "Y-Yes."

_He's a skittish little one, isn't he?_ Kurt took off his blazer and unbuttoned the white shirt he wore underneath it. The shirt had no blood on it, but the bandages looked almost soaked. He heard Devin swallow harshly at the sight as he reached for scissors to cut the bandages.

"Check it over, does it look deep enough for stitches?" Devin shook his head. "What about the shoulder? Does it seem out of place or hurt anywhere else?" Kurt sat quietly as Wes asked Devin question after question. Devin felt over his shoulder, being careful of the wounds before shaking his head and cutting the rest of the bandages off.

Wes hovered nearby, and Kurt thought that to be the reason for the freshman's nervousness. He gave Devin a reassuring smile as he took off the bandages. The gashes weren't bleeding heavily, but they stung in the open air of the room. Devin acted quickly, getting an alcohol wipe and dabbing gently at them. Kurt hissed under his breath at the slight pain, but didn't move.

"Use more pressure Devin, we don't need them getting infected. And don't worry about hurting him, Kurt can handle it." Wes instructed. Devin nodded, pressing a bit harder and Kurt gritted his teeth. The alcohol stung, but Wes was right.

As soon as they were clean, Devin went about putting more medicine on them before new bandages. As Devin worked, Kurt looked around to the other Warblers. It was surprising to Kurt that Nick and Jeff weren't visiting the dream place, with how playful they were. A dull thud on the ground signaled someone being tackled down, but laughs came from the group as two of the boys wrestled around.

Kurt wondered if this was what they were like in their cat forms, if they had one. The only cats he had met were his mother, the cat who saved him from that monster- Kurt was pretty sure the cat was Wes-, and the overpowering Tariq. Where did the others go when they went there? He guessed the forest was quite big, to support so many cats without Kurt seeing them yet. Maybe he could go and meet a few the next time they were there.

"That should be good, alright Kurt you're finished." Kurt fixed his shirt and put back on his blazer before smiling to Devin again.

"Thanks Devin." The small boy nodded, smiling shyly.

"He's very good at fixing people up, both here and in the forest." Wes commented as Devin took the first-aid kit back to where he got it from. "Not all of us go through the training your mother and Tariq were speaking of; Devin is being trained by a Medicine Cat, a doctor."

Kurt nodded. So there was more to that place than just what his mother had told him. But why did they need the training? Just to fight the dogs?

"An apprenticeship can last for quite a while." Kurt blushed, realizing he hadn't been listening to Wes. "I just finished mine a year ago."

"How long have you been visiting there?"

"About five years." Wes admitted. "My mentor was actually your mother. She's quite a skilled fighter."

Kurt smiled. "She took self-defense classes before…" He trailed off before shaking his head. "I starting going with her when I was four, it was like seeing a whole different her when she was learning."

"They paid off then; I only just beat her by a few blows when she was assessing if I was ready to be a mentor myself."

They looked over to the group when another crash sounded in the room. This time, it was Thad and Trent. Kurt saw it as fighting, with how hard Thad had slammed Trent to the ground, but Trent was giving his best too and tossed Thad off.

Wes knew it was just training. "Thad's coming close to his final assessment." He explained. "And Trent's not far behind. Most of the boys bring some of the training here to stay sharp. They also show it to the boys who aren't shifters, we've had a few new transfers that came from situations like yours, and Thad thought it best to teach them a few moves to defend themselves."

"Sounds like a great idea." Kurt nodded. His eyes never left the two wrestling boys as Trent managed to pin Thad down. They were both grinning, seeming to be only just holding in bouts of laughter. Two new freshmen were watching them with wide eyes. He noticed that Devin was off on his own, uninterested in the wrestling and ignoring it in favor of an herb book. Kurt guessed it was Medicine Cat stuff.

He wanted to know more about Medicine Cats. They seemed pretty interesting, choosing to heal instead of fight like the others. He wondered if that was all they did, healing others day in and day out. He almost grimaced at the thought. Kurt liked helping people, but if they were like doctors… that meant they saw the worst, whiniest patients most of the time, and Kurt couldn't deal with that.

It was then that he remembered something important, Cheerios practice was tomorrow. Kurt bit his lip and thought about it for a second. Aunt Sue could allow him one missed practice…but it was his first one…Kurt sighed and pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to Santana before shutting it off as Wes stood up.

"Alright you two, break it up!" Trent and Thad looked up to the lead Warbler. "I have an announcement. Kurt will be staying with us tonight and tomorrow. You are to treat him as a Warbler and fellow apprentice." A few of the boys smiled, another apprentice meant another friend for them. "He will be staying with Trent and I for tonight. Now, curfew is eleven, and I expect you all asleep by midnight. I don't want any of you missing classes without a very good reason." It was only ten fifteen, giving the boys plenty of time for relaxing before curfew.

Kurt got up, leaving Wes talking to David and walking over to Devin. "Hey."

Devin looked up at him. "Hi." His voice was as small as he was. The boy had to be a very young twelve; Kurt would even venture to him being younger. It wasn't terribly unheard of for Dalton to take in younger students who had no other place to go, Kurt learned that last year. There was no private middle school around, it was either public, homeschool, or- for the worst cases- Dalton. The headmaster had told him the school was more of a safe house for boys who had no other choice, Crawford County Day being the same way for girls- their youngest was now three.

"Thanks for fixing up my shoulder." Kurt smiled, sitting next to him. "So, you're a Medicine Cat apprentice?"

"Yeah," Devin nodded, "I-I just started a few months ago."

The others must not talk to him much. He looked a bit scared of Kurt, but his eyes held curiosity too. _I'd be scared if I was his size, stuck with all of these ruffians… _"How do you like being a Warbler?"

"It's fun…I didn't get to perform in Sectionals or Regionals though. I'm too young."

_So he is a junior Warbler. I wonder what happened to bring him here. And how old is he?_ Was the boy even at Middle School age?

"Devin." Kurt watched the small boy shrink back slightly as Wes looked over to them. "Ten forty-five, asleep by eleven thirty. Ok?" He nodded at the order. Wes gave him a soft smile before turning back to David.

"He's as bossy as he was last year." Kurt mused.

Devin sneaked a small smile. "He tries to keep us on a set schedule... Mine's earlier than everyone else's because I'm the youngest."

"How old are you?" Kurt looked at him questioningly. He wasn't expecting an answer from Devin, the boy seemed too jumpy to answer even a 'how are you'.

"Ten." He admitted. Kurt blinked in surprise but quickly hid it.

"And Wes is allowing you up this late?" Kurt joked. "Usually he would send the freshman to bed at ten thirty."

"He does it because I have an easy night with just herbs." Devin explained. "That… and he's my mentor here."

So the mentoring did apply to the waking world. But did that mean Wes was a Medicine Cat too? Kurt shook off the thought; Wes told him his mentor had been his mother. Maybe being a mentor here was different. It did explain why Wes was watching Devin so closely when he was fixing Kurt's shoulder though.

"He'll probably get you to meet a few other cats tonight." He whispered. "They've been looking for more cats to join."

~.~.~.~.~

"Glad to see you made it here ok!"

Kurt glanced warily at Tariq. Why did it have to be this cat to meet him? The fur on his shoulder twitched where the wounds were uncovered. He soothed it with a few licks before glaring at Tariq again.

The large tabby's booming laughter filled the forest. "Having second thoughts about this little kit?"

"No." Kurt growled. "Just a bit pissed off."

"Well get rid of the pissy!" Kurt's ears perked up. "We don't need you scaring the kits off." He turned his head, looking to a break in the tree line where a cat no larger than himself sat. It was a tom, with dusky yellow fur and darker stripes around his legs. His tail, curled over his paws, was even darker than his stripes. And his eyes were filled with amusement as they looked over Kurt. "You know, for a mountain cat, you're pretty soft."

Kurt's fur bristled slightly. "I'm not soft…" His nose twitched. "Wes?"

The cat smiled. "You're a natural here." Wes padded over to the other two. "Tariq," he nodded, "I'll take him to the others."

"Better be careful." Tariq warned as Wes led Kurt away from him. "Missy's just kitted, she won't be as accepting of strangers!"

"Kitted?" Kurt whispered.

"She gave birth." Wes explained. "Tariq's like your mother, he lives here. He's far older than she is though; he's probably forgotten human words."

Kurt nodded in understanding. "So, where are the others?"

Wes flicked his tail to a large gorse bush. "That's the entrance to camp. Everyone's in there." He stopped, Kurt not noticing and running into him. "There's a patrol coming."

"Patrol?"

"Kurt! Wes!" A stocky tabby, followed by a silver tabby and two gray toms, ran over. "You made it!"

"Kurt!" The silver tabby ran into him, knocking them to the forest floor in a tangle of limbs and tails. She pinned him down, touching her nose to Kurt's. "You're actually here!"

It took him a moment to realize who it was, but the light blue eyes filled with love and happiness quickly gave her away. "Brittany!" He purred, nuzzling her before nudging her off. "Let me up!"

Trent laughed, looking at them. He was the stocky brown tabby, the other two toms sat beside him. "I told you he'd be here Britt."

Brittany's tail waved happily as she purred, bouncing next to Kurt who was soothing his chest fur down after the surprise attack. "Does this mean he gets to meet the rest of the clan now?"

Wes looked to the other two cats. "Dusk, Soot, can you go tell the queens we have a new member to introduce?"

One of the toms nodded. "We'll tell him. Don't expect to see Missy today though."

"Tariq warned us." Wes waved his tail to Brittany and Kurt. "Come on you two!"

Brittany bounded on ahead, following Dusk and Soot. Trent walked with her as Wes came over to Kurt. They walked slower into the small break in the bush. The scents of many cats came from the entrance, and the sand around it was littered with paw prints. Wes went through first, flicking his tail across Kurt's nose playfully to signal the younger to follow him.

Kurt stayed close to Wes, resisting the urge to nip at the tail that waved only inches away from his muzzle. He didn't think his first time meeting the others should be during a play fight. The light at the end of the entrance was growing stronger and stronger, and soon enough Kurt had to blink his eyes shut against it. He could hear Wes chuckling and feel Wes' muzzle against his ear.

"Open your eyes and meet the clan."

Kurt opened his eyes, and they widened with what he saw.

The large clearing held quite a few cats. No cat was alone, they were in groups or with one other, all sharing prey or stories or grooming. His mother was there, with a queen who looked close to her kitting. Two other kits ran around their paws. Brittany and Trent were with three smaller cats, instructing them as they leaped up, trying to catch a low hanging tree branch. Two older cats sat nearby, watching the instructions and offering advice.

"There's so many." Kurt whispered. There were other holes in the gorse and trees too, where curious eyes peered out at him. It made his pelt prickle, the gazes and stares.

"I guess the whole group's here to greet you." Wes commented, pressing against Kurt's side when he noticed the other's discomfort. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you."

Kurt caught Elizabeth's eye, and she flicked her ears. Saying something to the queen, she got up and walked to Kurt, the two kits trailing behind her. "Wes said he would bring you here today." She purred, giving the top of his head a quick lick.

The two kits sniffed at his paws. "He smells like you Liz!" The tortoiseshell squeaked.

"And like mouse." The white kit mewed.

"He's my kit Sorrel, that's why he smells like me. And of course he does Dove; he's been out in the forest." Elizabeth told them.

They looked up at Kurt with wide eyes. "You're our _leader's_ kit?!"

Elizabeth grimaced, bringing the kits closer to her. "Kits, why don't you go see Tanglefur? I'm sure she has a great story for you."

"Aww," Sorrel flattened her ears. "But she always complains about her ticks!"

"Go kits." Wes ordered. Their tails drooped as Wes gave them a stern look. "Sometimes you have to be rough with them Elizabeth."

"I know." She sighed.

Kurt looked at his mother. "Mom…who's the leader?" Why did they think Kurt was his kit? Or…did they mean Elizabeth was the leader? If she was, then why did she seem so distant about it?

"Kurt…he's-" She cut off, looking towards the entrance of camp.

Paws thudded on the sand as four cats burst through the tunnel. Kurt recognized Thad by his eyes, but the other three were a mystery. They were panting hard, and Thad looked up at the other cats.

"There's a dog! In the forest, coming this way!"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is mostly going to be focused on the Night Shifters and Kurt meeting the clan, along with a few vital points/characters to the plot. Next chapter will be all in the human world and take place the same time as these. (Basically this chapter is what happens at night, the next is the days during Kurt's stay at Dalton) Things are going to get more confusing before they get better so remember, any questions you have, feel free to ask! I'll post the answers at the bottom of the next chapter, unless they are key points to the plot, and then they will be answered on their own in the story.**

**As I did with the last chapter, here's a free explanation: The camp Wes took Kurt to see is where the clan lives. The dens Kurt saw were the Elder's den, and Nursery. Usually the two are individual dens, Elders(retired cats) in one, Queens(Mothers) in another. But the camp is large enough to split it into a few dens, giving cats more room.**

**(Little note: Yes, they do have other names. No, I will not be changing names. I will still use their human names. At the bottom of this chapter, there will be a list of other names)**

**Chapter 4: From this moment on**

* * *

"There's a dog in the forest!"

Alarmed mews sounded throughout the camp. The queen Elizabeth was talking to ushered Sorrel and Dove into one of the dens. Trent was racing over with Brittany and another she-cat. The clan was moving quickly around.

"We need to chase it off!" Kurt looked to where the voice came from.

_It's the cat that saved me from the dog!_ He recognized the larger cat, his eyes were hard with power.

"It'll take a strong patrol to do that!" One of the cats that was with Thad announced as he leaned on Thad.

The large cat nodded. "Liz! Wes! I want you each to take a patrol and lead it away." He jumped down from his perch on top of the rocks. "I'll come with Liz's patrol."

Elizabeth looked at the cats in the clearing. "Dusk, Brittany…Vixen, and Yarrow." She announced.

"Trent, Soot, Mist, and Trout, you're with me!" Wes called.

The cats gathered around them. Elizabeth looked at Kurt. "Stay here," Her muzzle flicked towards one of the dens. "Guard them."

Kurt nodded, walking on shaking paws to the den his mother pointed out. He wanted to fight! But at the same time, he just wanted to hide away. The den he was guarding smelled strongly of herbs, and his mind flashed to Devin. _Am I guarding the Medicine cat den? _He wondered.

A cream colored she-cat poked her head out of the den. "Come inside! If the dog breaks through, you'll do more good hidden!" She told him, and Kurt followed her inside.

One side of the den was lined with moss and ferns. A few cats were asleep in the makeshift nests, oblivious to the danger. A queen with three kits laid nearby, her eyes watching Kurt fearfully as her kits mewled and tried to get closer to him.

"Kurt!" A night black cat padded over to him. His belly fur was a dark brown color, and there were two white stripes going down his back like a badger. "Is there really a dog?"

"Devin?" The cat nodded. "I guess there is, Thad came racing in with three other cats yowling about one."

Devin nodded. "Then there is one. Thad's the best tracker in the forest."

This cat seemed so different from the scared ten year-old Kurt met at Dalton. He seemed more confident, more prideful. Devin sniffed at his shoulder before grimacing.

"Creamfur! How much marigold do we have?" He called to the she-cat that told Kurt to come into the den.

She checked a corner of the den where Kurt could see piles of leaves and berries and seeds. "Plenty, is his shoulder ok?"

Devin shook his head. "Looks like it could get infected."

"Use cobweb on it too Littlepaw." Creamfur mewed, bringing over the marigold. "You must be Softheart's kit." She purred to Kurt. "I'm Creamfur, one of the medicine cats here. Littlepaw- oh you probably know him as Devin- is my apprentice."

"What's that?" He pointed with his tail to the leaves.

"Marigold." Creamfur explained as Devin came over, one paw tangled in cobwebs. "It's to stop infection."

"The stuff I put on it before won't follow you here." Devin took over the explanation as Creamfur chewed at the marigold. "And going through the entrance to camp with that probably got it all dirty. So the marigold should clean it out. The cobwebs will keep the marigold in place, and keep anything else from getting into the scratches."

Kurt watched silently as Creamfur put the poultice on before sticking the cobwebs to it. It didn't sting like the cleaning alcohol did. While she worked, Kurt thought about the strange names. Did all the cats have names like Creamfur's? Did Wes? He guessed that Softheart was Elizabeth. Did he have another name?

"There, all done." Creamfur sat back. "Ready to fight off any dog that tries to break in?" She teased him.

"Of course!" Did he have a choice really? He wouldn't mind the chance to stretch his claws though.

Devin rolled his eyes. "You seemed interested in Medicine cat stuff before!"

"Really now?" Creamfur's questioning gaze raked over him, growing into puzzlement as she whispered something under her breath. "Never mind that." She shook her head. "There's time for him to choose."

"Not much time." The growl came from beside the queen with kits.

"There's plenty of time Hawkclaw." Creamfur bristled. "He's only just got here."

Hawkclaw was a pretty large cat, but it was his paws and the claws they hid that surprised Kurt. His paws were massive, the speckled gray fur doing nothing to hide their strength. Kurt stifled a gasp at the cat turned to look at him with one eye. The fur around where his other eye would be was sleek, gleaming around large wounds like the ones Kurt sported.

"He got his name because of the hawk that took his eye." Devin whispered. "I'm glad I didn't get him as a mentor!"

"_He's_ a medicine cat?" Kurt hissed silently.

The smaller cat nodded. "He and Creamfur are the two here. But he was a warrior before that."

Kurt didn't have to ask what a warrior was.

"Momma I'm fine!" The squeaking kit drew everyone's attention in. "I wanna go see the dog!"

Hawkclaw hissed at the kit. "You'll do no such thing!"

The queen's ears flattened. "She was just curious!" She drew all three kits closer to her belly. Outside, the dog's barks signaled the patrol's arrival to it. Kurt shivered and tried to keep his fur flat from the noise.

Hearing it out there while he was trapped inside made his mind up. There was no way he could be a medicine cat. His claws slid out against the soft earth. Why wait for his decision? He was ready now! If his mother could be a warrior, why couldn't he?

The rest of the clan were as silent as mice as the barking drew closer. Devin crouched down beside Kurt, his eyes trained on the entrance to camp. If the dog broke through, they would have to fight. In the clearing, warriors stood guard at the other dens. Even a few queens and younger elders were ready.

Kurt flexed his claws and shoulders, falling into a crouch next to Devin. Without even thinking, he steadied his back paws to push him forward when needed. He could feel the power in them, feel everything from his claws to tail tip, his whole body was trembling with the thought of a fight.

But it was unneeded. The dog's barks traveled away from camp, and everyone relaxed. Kurt shoved away his disappointment at missing out on a fight, at least the kits were safe. He looked over to the three in the den, they were all peering out at him over their mother's tail. One of them, the one who wanted to see the dog, slipped out of her mother's grasp and tumbled into Kurt's paws.

"Are you an apprentice too?" She asked, looking up with wide golden eyes.

"Not yet." Kurt admitted. "But I'm going to be."

"Then you're a kit now?"

Kurt thought for a second before nodding. "I guess you could say that."

The kit squealed, leaping at Kurt and climbing up on his back. "You're a huge kit! Maybe you can be the dog in our games!"

"Gorsekit!" Her mother hissed. "Get down now! You'll hurt him!"

Kurt laughed. "It's ok, she's not hurting me." He stood up slowly, making sure Gorsekit wouldn't fall. "We can play later, after it's safe."

Gorsekit purred. "Yes! Hear that Rabbitkit? Minnowkit?" She called to her littermates.

"Only a moon old and already they think they're the biggest kits in the clan, next to you of course." Devin plucked Gorsekit from her perch on Kurt's shoulders. "Go back to your nest. It's not safe yet, we have to wait for Rushclaw's all clear."

_So many names…_ Kurt thought. Why couldn't they be easier things to remember?

"Rushclaw's the deputy." Devin nodded to the black and white cat sitting in the center of the clearing. "He'll be able to see the patrols first, and tell us if it's safe."

"He's no deputy." Hawkclaw growled. "He's just a head-strong warrior who thinks Softheart is just that, too soft!"

Yowls broke outside of camp and every cat stiffened. The sound made Kurt's blood run cold. _Mom!_ He couldn't stay in the den any longer. Rushing out as fast as his paws could carry him, and Devin fast on his heels, he ran out of camp. He heard Rushclaw calling after them before three other cats followed.

"Never thought I'd see you here." One said, catching up to Kurt.

"Guess it runs in the family, even if by marriage." Kurt greeted him. "Mike, what can we do to fight that dog?"

Mike was silent for a second, giving one of the other cats a chance to speak.

"Don't think, just attack!"

Kurt nodded, pushing his paws to move faster as they cleared a fallen tree in a few leaps. His claws tore at the bark as he saw the dog right behind the tree. It had one hefty paw pinning Elizabeth down, it's jaws ready to snap at her neck.

"I don't think so mutt!" Kurt hissed, slamming into its jaw with a well-timed leap. He heard a satisfying _crack_ as one tooth feel beside him. _Guess we'll know if this is Sebastian by how many teeth the meerkat has left._ Kurt's tail lashed back and forth as the dog abandoned Elizabeth for his much younger prey. "Come on mutt! Let's see you take me on!"

"Kurt, no don't! Run!" Elizabeth called as Mike helped her to her paws. Devin gave her pelt a quick sniff before ordering her up the tree with the other two patrols. They tried their hardest to get the dog away, but it was just too quick.

The dog snarled, looking strange with one tooth missing. Kurt looked into its eyes, this one wasn't the one he wanted to fight. But it didn't matter, he had friends to protect. With a snarl of his own, he leaped at the dog, slashing at its muzzle with a few quick lashes before diving underneath it to avoid the counterattack. The dog yelped in surprise as Kurt's teeth sank into its belly, his claws slashing at the dog's leg.

Kurt let go with a yowl as the dog grabbed his tail. His breath was knocked out of him as one of the dog's paws came down on his chest. He struggled for breath as two of the cats from the first patrols fell onto the dog from the tree. They attacked it from above as the two nameless cats that came with Kurt attacked from below.

Seeing a losing battle, the dog began to back off, letting Kurt up in the process. He aimed one more feeble paw swipe at the dog before it was out of reach before letting his head fall to the ground. His chest heaved with the effort of breathing and he barely noticed one cat helping him to sit up.

"Come on Kurt, you'll feel better if you can get at least somewhat sitting." It was Devin underneath him, pushing up as another cat pulled him by his scruff.

The leader was the one who had Kurt's scruff. "It…It's you….the cat from before…"

"That was foolish!" He growled. "Twice, I've had to watch you fight a dog! What if Wes and I had not jumped in time? What if I hadn't found you the first time?"

"Kurt!" Elizabeth was out of the tree quickly, rushing over to her kit. She took Devin's place, supporting Kurt and giving his chest a few strong licks.

Kurt fell against Elizabeth, glad for his mother's support. "Why…why haven't I woke up? I thought I woke up when I was injured…"

"Your body's adjusted to it." Wes told him. "Usually twenty minutes is the limit, but it's been an hour now. Wait until you're here from dusk to dawn." He pulled Kurt to his paws, steadying him and taking the leader's spot at his side. Kurt leaned gratefully on Wes' strong shoulder. "Take everything you've been told about dreams, and throw it out the window."

"I think we can throw reality out there too." Kurt complained. He looked to the other cats. Everyone seemed shaken, whether from excitement or fear, but no one seemed too badly hurt. "And speak of being told…I've been hearing quite a few strange names."

Wes grimaced. "I told them to wait on that…I'll explain it when you aren't dead on your paws."

~.~.~.~.~

The trek back to camp seemed to be even longer than the trip to fight the dog. Kurt was practically carried by Wes and Mike, Elizabeth was leaning heavily on the leader, and Brittany walked closely with Yarrowbrush and Vixenpelt. Trent was talking to the other cats on the patrol, they seemed to be discussing something important, but Kurt couldn't hear it clearly.

"Creamfur!" Devin called as they finally reached the camp. "We're back!"

Creamfur rushed over, herbs dangling from her jaws as she looked at the patrol. "Get Kurt to the den, I can treat the others here." She instructed.

"Come on Kurt, just a bit farther." Wes grunted, grabbing Kurt's scruff to adjust how the tom was standing.

Kurt fell almost limp in his jaws, he was tired and his lungs still burned. All he wanted to do was to wake up, or fall into a dreamless sleep. He barely noticed when Mike scrambled under him and lifted Kurt onto his back.

"That dog really did a number on you didn't he." Mike steadied Kurt before walking towards the Medicine cat den. "Or is it the asthma?"

"B….both…" Kurt gasped. He had forgotten about the ailment. The air in the forest was fresh and clean, nothing had triggered his asthma before. But the pressure on his lungs, and the dog's disgusting scent, must have triggered it.

"Shit." Mike whispered. "And there's no chance of waking up yet…"

"I can see if I can reach Jeff or Nick." Wes offered. "They can try and wake him up."

Mike shook his head. "Hawkclaw can treat it. This is nothing compared to the coughing fit Dovekit had a while ago." He lowered Kurt slowly into one of the nests near Gorsekit and her siblings. The three of them watched as Kurt tried to curl up, only to be stopped by their mother's paw.

"Don't do that." She told him. "It'll only make it worse."

"Hurts…" Kurt croaked. He wondered why he hadn't woken up yet. This was about as bad as all of the nightmares, and he always woke up before anything serious could happen.

"I know. You just went up against a dog if my hearing is correct. You're bound to be hurting." Her tongue drew over his ears, the motion soothing him slightly.

A low growl caught their attention as Hawkclaw set down a few herbs next to the nest. "Asthma and dog fighting are not two things that should go together." He grumbled, pawing out different leaves from the pile. "These are burnet for strength, coltsfoot to clear your lungs, juniper," he rolled a berry from the pile, "for breathing-"

"Just give them to him, he doesn't need to know all of them!" The queen snapped. Hawkclaw growled, shoving the herbs towards Kurt.

"I figured he'd like to know what I was giving him Featherstep."

_And I'm supposed to eat them?_ He questioned silently. By Featherstep's expectant look, he decided he was going to have to eat them. It was hard to swallow them, but he could feel them working fast. The burn in his lungs slowly died down and his head became clearer. They tasted odd, but not bad. _Quicker than the inhaler too._

He rested his head on his paws, letting his eyes drift close as he fell into an uneasy sleep, and a painful awakening.

* * *

"Stretch out your paws, there you go." Featherstep ran her paw over Kurt's shoulder. "It's healing nicely."

Creamfur and Hawkclaw were out collecting herbs. Devin was nearby, checking over Elizabeth's wounds. Gorsekit, Minnowkit, and Rabbitkit sat by their mother quietly. Kurt was surprised at how well behaved they were, much different from yesterday. Even Gorsekit was sitting silently.

Kurt's legs trembled with the stretching. Featherstep told him to do a few as soon as he woke up, no matter which world he was in. It would keep his shoulder from going stiff. His chest fur brushed the ground as he stretched farther, his tail lengthening behind him. He spied Rabbitkit's tail, and poked at it gently with a claw.

The kit squeaked in surprise before turning on Kurt. "The dog almost got me!"

"Attack!" Gorsekit yowled.

Kurt purred as their tiny paws tried to push him out of the stretch. He finally gave way, toppling over onto his side as the kits scrambled onto him. "Glad to see you aren't made of stone anymore!"

Elizabeth watched her son fondly. "He'll make a great mentor one day, and a great father." Her gaze raked over her son, seeing so much difference in the bubbly kit she had raised. From what Wes and Brittany had told her, he grew to be cold towards mostly everyone. It was self-defense, but she frowned as she remembered Brittany telling her of Kurt's fear that Burt wouldn't accept him.

Gorsekit and Minnowkit held on as Kurt turned back onto his belly. Rabbitkit jumped up to his head, worrying Kurt's ear with his teeth. "Let's get through my apprentice training first before there's any talk of kits." He said nervously.

Elizabeth agreed silently with the statement. There would be plenty of time for kits later. "Have you decided what path you'll take? I know Hawkclaw's been looking for an apprentice."

Kurt scowled. "And miss out on battles like the one against the dog? No way!"

"And here I thought the little Kittypet wouldn't want his fur getting dirty." Wes teased, walking into the den. "With as much fuss as you put over your hair and skin. Not to mention the fuss over clothing. Just today you were complaining about how dull the uniforms at Dalton are, again!"

"Well this is different." Kurt countered. "I doubt these three know who Marc Jacobs is."

"Who?" Rabbitkit asked.

"See?" Kurt's tail flicked. "Besides, if I'm going to be visiting here every time I fall asleep, I might as well become useful to the clan."

Devin looked up. "Medicine cats _are_ useful. If it wasn't for Hawkclaw you could've died!"

"Well yeah, but I'd just be a better fighter. I don't think medicine cats are of any use if they argue with every cat that walks in."

"Enough you two," Elizabeth wrapped her tail around Kurt and gave Devin's ear a quick lick. "No fighting."

"It's good to see that our newest apprentice has a fighting spirit though."

Elizabeth bowed her head as the leader walked in. "Hello Stormstar."

Wes bent his head to whisper to Kurt. "That's Stormstar, the leader. Only leaders have –star."

Stormstar looked Kurt over. The small cat felt even smaller around this cat. The first time they met, he didn't seem any larger than Kurt. But now, looking at him closely, Kurt could tell he was quite larger. His fur reflected his name, off-white with darker gray patches, and his yellow eyes were like lightning.

"It's time for him to be welcomed as an apprentice." Stormstar decided. Elizabeth mewled in surprise, drawing Kurt closer to her side.

"So soon?" She questioned. "But it's only been a few days!"

Stormstar purred to the she-cat, "You were my apprentice on your second night here, Softheart."

Elizabeth still looked troubled, but nodded. Kurt wondered what was going on between his mother and the leader.

_Sorrelkit did ask if I was his kit…what if-_

Stormstar's booming yowl broke his thoughts. Wes waved his tail for Kurt to come out of the den, the kits trailing behind them with Featherstep and Elizabeth. The whole clan gathered in the clearing, Kurt could see Brittany, Mike, and Trent too. Thad had wretched a claw catching a vole, and was probably awake with Jeff or Nick to fix it.

"Today is a great day for the clan." Stormstar began. "New apprentices are always welcomed, and today we have two."

Kurt blinked in confusion. Two new apprentices today? He looked around for any other cat, and spied one of the kits from yesterday, Sorrelkit. She was buzzing with excitement, her tail quivering. Her eyes locked with his and he waved his tail to her.

"Sorrelkit, from this moment on, you shall be known as Sorrelpaw." Stormstar announced. "Yewstrike," Kurt felt Wes shift beside him, "you will be her mentor."

Sorrelpaw padded over to Wes, touching her nose to his.

_So they did take other names,_ Kurt thought, _at least Wes did._

"Kurt, step forward." Kurt stood up, walking slowly over to Stormstar. "You are new to the clan, but you fought like a seasoned clanmate against the dog. From this moment on, you shall be known as Songpaw." Stormstar looked to the clan, finding the right cat that he wanted. "Rushclaw."

Devin had pointed out the cat to him before. The tom walked up to him, standing only inches above Kurt. But there was something in his eyes that made Kurt's fur prickle.

"You shall be Songpaw's mentor." Kurt tried his hardest not to flinch as Rushclaw touched his nose to Kurt's head.

The clan moved around the two new apprentices, greeting them with warm mews and purrs. Elizabeth and Devin were the first two to reach Kurt.

"Congrats Kurt." Devin purred. "Too bad about the mentor though." He made sure Rushclaw couldn't hear before continuing. "He's a mean one…his last apprentice didn't last a month before he stopped coming here."

Kurt held his head high. "Well I won't be leaving any time soon." He promised.

"No more chasing after dogs and you won't have to leave." Elizabeth scolded him. "Honestly Kurt, what were you thinking?" She sighed. "At least now you have a mentor to listen to instead of your instincts."

* * *

The rustling of branches from up above Kurt startled him out of the hunting crouch he had been practicing. Above him, Sorrelpaw was with another warrior. Wes was staying up to do something unheard of in the Warblers; studying on a Saturday. Vixenpelt was teaching her how to climb trees.

Rushclaw on the other hand, was teaching Kurt how to hunt mice and voles. "You're doing it wrong!" He growled at Kurt. "Think of the mouse as the last thing that could save the clan."

Kurt scowled and crouched down again, making sure his weight was even before sliding his paws forward. There was no sound from him, only from Sorrelpaw and Rushclaw's twitching tail. He focused on what his mentor told him. _The last thing that could save the clan…the only thing between Gorsekit, Minnowkit, Rabbitkit, and death._

"Try it again!" A shove from Rushclaw unbalanced him. Kurt could see why his last apprentice left.

_You're not getting rid of me that easily._ He crouched again, subtly tensing his muscles to ready himself for the shove. It came, and Kurt didn't move.

"You're stalking prey not becoming a rock! Stop tensing up, we're battle training now." Rushclaw turned away from Kurt, walking through the thick undergrowth. Kurt shook his pelt free of dirt from the last two falls before following after him.

It was only his first day of training, and Rushclaw had put him through his paces. Before hunting practice, he had been practicing paw slashes. And before that, it was a run through the forest. Kurt was sure he would be tired tomorrow.

On his way to the training spot- he had lost Rushclaw along the way and was using his mentor's scent to get there- he found Hawkclaw. The medicine cat was gathering juniper berries from a bush and growling to himself.

_Why are he and Rushclaw so prickly?_ Kurt questioned silently.

"Omen…never been born…supposed to be a medicine cat…" Kurt picked up only some of what Hawkclaw had been saying.

"Hawkclaw?" He asked softly.

The medicine cat turned to look at him with a dark glare. "What? Rushclaw not training you hard enough? Have to come and bother a medicine cat instead? Or have you finally figured out you're _supposed_ to be a medicine cat?"

"What?" Kurt stepped back. "What are you talking about?"

"Of course you wouldn't know, daft apprentices never pay attention to omens." Hawkclaw grumbled. "You wonder why you came here in the first place, right?" Kurt nodded. "It wasn't just because Softheart's here. No, you're destiny is not around her."

His fur began to bristle. "Well it's not around being a medicine cat either! I'm a warrior apprentice!"

"You're a Kittypet!"

"Hawkclaw." Kurt turned to the bushes where Wes walked out of. The tom had finally arrived in camp. "Creamfur needs you back at camp to take a look at one of the queens."

The medicine cat's ears flattened before he picked up the berries and walked towards camp. Wes walked over to Kurt, touching noses with his friend.

"Don't mind Hawkclaw, he's just grumpy about his brother getting an apprentice. He and Rushclaw are littermates." Wes explained.

Kurt nodded. "Have you seen Sorrelpaw yet?"

"Not yet."

"She's in the trees."

"And you are supposed to be at the training spot?" Wes questioned.

Kurt squeaked. He had forgotten about that in his banter with Hawkclaw. "Yes! I'm supposed to be there!" He raced through the forest, following Rushclaw's scent to a small clearing. But he doubted it was the right place. This clearing was close to the river, but full of rocks both smooth and jagged. "S-sorry Rushclaw. Hawkclaw-"

"My brother is nothing but a nuisance!" Rushclaw growled. "Climb up there!" He flicked his tail to the largest rock. Around it were many jagged rocks, but Kurt could see a path up it.

"Alright." He jumped up to the first smooth rock, wondering exactly what Rushclaw was planning. As he jumped to the next one, he found out what his mentor wanted. He ducked under a paw swipe, noticing the gleam of the sun on unsheathed claws.

_But I thought we wouldn't use claws in training!_ Kurt jumped to the next rock, only a few more leaps until he would reach the base of the largest. Rushclaw matched him step for step though, weaving through and on the jagged rocks as if they were not even there. His claws snagged the new marigold that Devin put on Kurt's shoulder, ripping through the poultice like it was water.

Kurt leaped again, only to fall onto the next rock as another slash connected with his side. He growled, kicking out at Rushclaw and recoiling quickly before his mentor's jaws could snap around his leg. He scrambled up, jumping to the base of the rock before hooking his claws into one of the paw holds he found.

"Do you think it will be that easy?" Rushclaw jumped to a ledge above him, shoving him down with both front paws. Kurt could smell the blood as Rushclaw scratched at his nose, but didn't let it distract him.

_Is this about jumping…if he won't let me climb?_ Kurt crouched down, taking a mighty leap up to where Rushclaw was. His mentor gave him a second to scramble up to the ledge before lashing out again.

Kurt screeched as the claws came close, screwing his eyes shut and wincing in pain as the blow hit the top of his muzzle. He heard the blood splatter on the rock and opened his eyes. Across his muzzle was a deep scratch, blood trickled down from it like an icicle in the sun.

"No enemy will stand around and wait for you." Rushclaw told him. "Do you think warriors hesitate? It only takes one heartbeat for your enemy to decide on an attack, and in that heartbeat they can kill you."

Kurt narrowed his eyes, determination numbing the stinging on his muzzle as he leaped at Rushclaw. The tom moved back, but he wasn't Kurt's target. In a single heartbeat, he twisted. The next paw hold was just above his mentor's head, and he used it to propel himself up to the next ledge.

Before Rushclaw reached him, Kurt scrambled up to the next, getting closer and closer to the top. Rushclaw tried to grab one of his back paws with his claws, but Kurt whipped his long tail down to knock the claws away. Just one more paw hold, and he would be at the top.

Kurt's lungs were beginning to burn again as he struggled to catch his paw on the hold. After the running he did before, he wasn't so sure he could make it up. His claws scraped against the rock, almost letting go until teeth dug into his scruff.

Rushclaw pulled him up the rest of the way, dropping him onto the large expanse of rock and letting Kurt stand up. "This was to test your determination. And you've passed."

Kurt let a choked purr escape at the half-praise. It wasn't an easy test. Looking out beyond the rocks, he couldn't see past the trees. But the river looked like a tiny stream from up there.

"Get used to the view." Rushclaw whispered. "Stormstar may lead the clan now, but soon it will be _you_ leading them. I do not train any less than leaders."

Kurt shivered. He was barely an apprentice! But he couldn't deny, being leader sounded good. _Don't think about it just yet Kurt Hummel._ He warned himself.

But how could he not? Here, no one was judging him. The clan, other than the other Night Shifters, knew nothing of his ordeal with Blaine. Few probably knew he was gay, but the way Yarrowbrush and Troutstream were treated, he would safely guess none of the clan would care. And what was better, was that he was being _noticed_. Not pushed away for Blaine, not silenced by Rachel. Rushclaw had only eyes for him.

_Songpaw may be a soft name, but let every cat here know that it does not belong to a soft cat! I'll listen to everything Rushclaw teaches me, and then…McKinley won't know what hit them!_

* * *

**A/N: Kurt's getting a bit cocky as a cat, isn't he? I'm blaming the new cats for that one.**

**List of names(Human – Cat)**

**Wes – Yewstrike**

**Kurt – Songpaw**

**Elizabeth – Softheart**

**Trent – Dewheart**

**Brittany – Ivystorm**

**Thad – Foxrush**

**Devin –Littlepaw **

**(This is only the known by Kurt cats. There will be others, and let's not forget our loveable dogs too! They don't have name changes though. And I will NOT be using their cat names. They will be called by these names in the feline world though. But never will I put things like {"[sentence here]" Yewstrike said.} Because it would get too confusing too quickly.)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Third chapter I've started writing this week! I think I found a group of songs that really work with this story.**

**This chapter is ALL HUMAN. It goes along with the last chapter, which contained the nights Kurt spent with the Warblers. This one will contain the days, which means more interaction with Niff, and a surprise encounter. It will also be quite longer.**

**Free explanation: Deputies take over for leaders once the leader dies. They also set patrols, and keep the clan in line. Deputy of the clan Kurt is in is Elizabeth, but Rushclaw's looking to the position for himself.**

_Underlined italics are bits from chapter 4 that signal the beginning of a day._

**Songs: Wonderland by Angela Via from Pokémon: The Movie 2000**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Different, yet the same.**

_He rested his head on his paws, letting his eyes drift close as he fell into an uneasy sleep, and a painful awakening._

Kurt groaned as he batted away the hand shaking his shoulder. "Go 'way." He muttered, curling tighter into the pillow he was holding.

Only it was the pillow that was shaking him. Wes protested Kurt sleeping on the floor last night, saying that his bed was big enough for them to fit in. Sometime during the night though, they moved closer together.

"Come on Kurt, you can lounge around all day. Trent and I have classes and Trent's left already." Wes prodded Kurt's side with a finger. "And I got a text from Dev, he wants to check you over to make sure you're ok."

"Giving a ten year old a cell phone now?" Kurt grumbled as he rolled over to let Wes get up. His head hit the pillows and he was soon lulled into a half-sleep. _Please don't take me back there, I just want to sleep for once._

"Headmaster's idea, since he's a Warbler." Wes explained, getting out of bed to take a shower. "He'll be here soon."

Kurt pulled the blanket up to cover his head. He waited for Wes to shut the bathroom door before sitting up. _Devin's wasting a trip. I feel ok- better than ok even. Oh…maybe just a bit sore. _There was a slight burn in his lungs, but it was ignorable. He had worse from locker checks in McKinley.

The thought of fighting the dog was still fresh in his mind. The excitement, the terror, the _thrill_ of it all. Running into the forest blindly to help his mother and friends, knocking the dog square in the jaw, it all made up his mind quickly about what path he wanted there. _I could never be a medicine cat._

A knock on the door brought Kurt out of his thoughts. "Come in!" He called, figuring it to be Devin. He smiled when the small boy walked through the door. "Hey Devin."

The boy smiled back shyly. "Hi. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Hawkclaw seemed a bit harsh on you."

"Nah." Kurt shook his head. "I've dealt with worse people. And I'm ok." He took a deep breath. "There's only a light burn. Whatever it was that Hawkclaw gave me worked really well."

Devin nodded. "You're not the only one there with breathing problems. That was probably the same mixture he gives to Briarpelt." He explained. "It soothes your lungs so you can breathe easily."

Devin checked Kurt's shoulder too, glad to see it was healing nicely. Kurt couldn't help but notice a slight twitch Devin had in his right hand. His index finger twitched ever so slightly, much like his tail would. He also seemed to rely on his sense of smell too. This boy seemed more in tune with his cat than anyone.

"You should be ok for today then." Devin finally announced. "Maybe some light stretches to keep your shoulder from going stiff could help. I don't suggest doing anything with the Cheerios for a bit though."

"How do you know about the Cheerios?" Kurt questioned.

"Brittany. She told me about them when she first started visiting the clan. She looked so excited when you joined, said that 'Kurtie, my dolphin, is a cereal again'. I'm guessing she meant you."

Kurt smiled at the mention of his only ex-girlfriend. "Yeah. She calls me a dolphin, because they're just gay sharks."

They talked about small things, from the Warblers, to Dalton in general. Neither noticed Wes coming back into the room in his white dress shirt and black slacks, his tie and blazer on the back of one of the chairs. The lead Warbler smiled softly as he looked at Devin and Kurt. The youngest Warbler seemed captivated by whatever it was Kurt was telling him.

"-And then there's Santana, she's Brittany's girlfriend and a pretty mean girl if you cross her." Kurt was watching his language around Devin, refusing to curse around him. "Mike's my cousin, he visits the clan too. His mom married my uncle last summer. He used to date Tina…but I don't know about that anymore."

"Your glee club sounds confusing. How did they manage to get to Nationals?" Devin questioned, tilting his head to the side slightly.

Kurt held back a grin. Devin was just like a kitten. "Mr. Schue would say it's because of Rachel and Blaine's voices, but I think it's more the Troubletones, our female group. Santana's voice is pretty powerful, Mercedes' voice too. They really carry the group, and Brittany and Mike's dancing is almost up there with professionals."

"Kurt, you good to stay in here or are you gonna come with me to class?" Wes interrupted. He had gotten his blazer on, and was tying his tie.

"Can he stay with me?" Devin questioned, turning wide eyes to Wes, almost pleading to him.

"I don't see a problem with it, but it's up to Kurt." Wes fixed his tie, buttoning his blazer before searching for his Warbler pin.

Devin's turned to plead to Kurt with eyes that Kurt was sure he could not say no to. "I just have to make a quick phone call to Coach. I'd have to do that anyway…but I don't see why I couldn't stay with Devin today."

Wes nodded. "Alright, I'll tell Mrs. Duval that you have him today. She usually watches him on Fridays since he doesn't have class."

Kurt wondered even more about why Devin was at Dalton. Nick's mom usually didn't watch the younger students unless they really needed it. But the more he thought about it, the more things seemed to connect. "Wait…You mean Heather is-"

"A certain cream furred she-cat?" Wes smiled. "That's why Nick and Jeff are so close to us. It wouldn't surprise me if Nick started getting the dreams soon."

It made sense. The times that he had met Mrs. Duval, she was always worrying over them. Much like Creamfur worried over the patrol last night. Kurt looked over Wes, remembering that it was him and the leader who attacked the dog after it had pinned Kurt. He seemed ok, maybe a bit stiff, but nothing bad.

_He's probably fought worse battles._ Kurt reminded himself. Thad had seemed to be in worse shape last night, Kurt wondered if he would be ok, Brittany too.

"Alright, if you two are good here then I'm off." Wes announced. He gathered Devin into a quick hug. "Be good today." He ordered, kissing the top of the boy's head.

Devin shook his way out of the hug, laughing lightly. "I will be –Wes." He tripped over Wes' name, something Kurt missed as he laid back down.

It was one thing he missed about Dalton; the comfy beds. "I'll keep an eye on him, don't worry." Kurt promised. How hard could watching one kid be? Especially one that seemed to be well-behaved.

Wes said goodbye one more time before shutting the two boys in the room. As soon as he was gone, Devin climbed into the bed, getting under the blankets and nuzzling his head into Wes' pillow. The boy was giggling, and Kurt couldn't help but laugh himself.

"What has gotten into you? Where's the shy boy I first met?" Kurt asked between fits of laughter.

Devin froze, a blush creeping up his face as he looked sheepishly up to Kurt. "I'm only shy around larger groups, because I'm the smallest. But Wes always talked about you, and so did Britt, so I know you're a good person and I don't feel as scared."

"Well, if you look past me being…former ice queen of McKinley, I guess I am a good person." Kurt said softly. "Kinda like you."

The young Warbler scooted over to Kurt, resting his head on the cheerleader's chest. "And Elizabeth always talks about you too. After my dad died," Kurt tensed, "she started visiting me in my dreams."

"Devin…what happened to your parents?" Kurt was cautious about asking. He tucked the boy into his side, wrapping both arms around him.

Devin tensed up at the question, and Kurt thought the boy would pull away. But all he did was shut his eyes and move even closer to Kurt. "I don't know my mom, and my dad died when I was six. That's why I'm here."

Kurt felt a pang of regret at asking. It seemed painful for the boy to talk about it. He thought of his mother's death. How sudden it was, how lost he had felt. How lost his dad was.

He remembered, vaguely, crawling under his mother's dresser. How he managed to fit under it was still a mystery to both he and his dad. Burt looked for him for hours on end before finally calling a family friend to help him. They couldn't, but Burt was reassured that Kurt hadn't run off. Everything he owned was still in his room. Three days passed before Kurt finally crawled out from under the dresser. It was loneliness that drove him out of there.

From that moment on, Burt never let Kurt out of his sight. Even going as far as to move the boy's bed into the bigger spare bedroom that had since become the master bedroom. Kurt knew it was out of worry, and it was safer too. He did have a history of sleep walking.

_But who was there for Devin?_ A voice in Kurt's head asked. Kurt's mother was, but that was in dreams. Had he really been here since he was six? _The senior Warblers must've taken care of him, look at how close he is with Wes._

Devin did seem to be very comfortable with Wes. He had no quarrels climbing into the eldest Warbler's bed, and seemed content to just lie there. Kurt would've guessed the boy to be asleep if it wasn't for the tense feeling in his back.

"How about we listen to some music?" Kurt spied Wes' iPod on the nightstand. Maybe Wes had let him listen to it before? It might calm Devin down. He reached over to grab it, clicking on the music list and going through it. "No way!" He laughed, stopping on one of the songs.

"What is it?" Devin asked.

"Never took Wes as a Pokémon fan." Kurt snickered, clicking on the song. The lyrics filled the room with upbeat music and Kurt couldn't help but join in. _"There's a whole new world. On the other side. We can find our friend. At the end of the line"_

Devin giggled more and Kurt was surprised when the giggles turned into singing. _"No matter where we fall. Or where we land. I believe we're part. Of a master plan."_

"_Who knows where"_

_(Who knows where the journey ends)_

"_The journey ends"_

_(Catch me if you think you can)_

"_Take my hand"_

_(Take my hand we're going to)_

"_We're going to Wonderland"_

Kurt smiled. "Devin, your voice is amazing. Especially for someone so young!"

Devin couldn't help but grin back. Both of them couldn't help but feel that it was the perfect start to the day.

~.~.~.~.~

"Aunt Sue I have a good reason for not being there…well no…I'm 'babysitting'. Junior Warbler. Ten years old. Yes…no." Kurt sighed loudly. "Dad's fine with it. Besides, I'd rather not deal with the glee club just yet."

It was getting close to two when Kurt and Devin finally escaped the confines of Wes and Trent's room. They snuck into the Warbler Hall to wait for the others, and Kurt called up Coach Sylvester to tell her where he was and that he was safe.

Devin was sitting on the table next to Kurt's chair, kicking his legs back and forth waiting for Kurt to get off the phone.

"I promise. Yes. Alright, bye Coach!" Kurt groaned even louder as he pressed the end button. "I love that woman, but she drives me crazy with her hidden worrying!"

"But the worrying means she loves you too. Like how Wes always worries over me." Devin said simply.

They both fall into a happy silence as the other Warblers slowly gather into the room. The happy mood lasted for only a heartbeat as Kurt's eyes fell on the three missing Warblers from yesterday. Sebastian, with two others flanking him. One of them, the one on Sebastian's right, wore a scowl on his face. There was a large bruise on his cheek with four long claw marks in the center.

_It was him! He's the dog that attacked yesterday!_ Kurt thought in disbelief. _They're still Warblers?!_

Devin prodded his side. "Don't stare." He hissed. "They don't know about us, and as far as they know, we don't know about them."

"Well it's pretty obvious what they are when those are _my_ claw marks. And how many cats do you know named Kurt?" Kurt whispered back. His mother made the mistake of yelling his name last night when the dog had crushed him.

He and Devin got up from the table, following David and Thad to the council's table. As Kurt suspected, Thad seemed to be in some pain. Wes greeted them with a small smile, nodding the chairs behind him. Kurt sat restlessly in the chair, hoping Sebastian hadn't seen him.

His hope was misguided though. "What is he doing here?" Sebastian growled, looking right at Kurt. "Are we taking in stray spies now?"

"Who do I have to spy for?" Kurt countered. "Unless the Warblers are cheerleaders now."

"Like we would ever do something that girly. The sport matches you though, gay face."

"Sebastian!" Wes glared at the Warbler. "Kurt is here because I invited him here. _You_ on the other hand are only here because the headmaster feels that you need babysat like the junior students."

Kurt snickered at Sebastian's appalled look. "Aww, what's wrong? Poor Sebby sneak out too many times to see his hobbit beau?" The cheerleader taunted. It was unlike him, but something about the mutt in front of him just set his blood on fire. _Just wait until I can sink my claws into _you_ like I did your little friend!_

"You little-"

"Enough!" Wes slammed the gavel onto the table. "Kurt, silence. Sebastian you too."

Sebastian seethed silently as Kurt sat back with a smirk. Devin sat down next to him, trying his best not to giggle.

"At least I can keep Blaine loyal."

That last jab stung Kurt worse than anything. The tension in the air became dense, everyone could feel it. Trent, Nick, and Jeff kept their eyes on Kurt as Wes tried to rush through the meeting. Devin reached over to grab Kurt's hand, trying to keep the boy from attacking Sebastian.

_There will be time for that._ Kurt started at the strange voice in his head. _Wait it out. Now is not the time._

He squeezed Devin's hand lightly, trying to relax again and locked eyes with Trent. The other boy's gaze turned questioning and Kurt shook his head. _I'm ok._

But who did the voice belong to?

* * *

_"At least now you have a mentor to listen to instead of your instincts."_

"Hey Songpaw! A couple of us are going out to the mall, wanna come?"

Saturday was a far better day for Kurt, compared to the last few days anyway. It was strange, being called Songpaw outside of the dreams, the name was still foreign on his tongue. The best part about last night was the excited chatter with Sorrelpaw though. The pretty she-cat was going to be a great friend, Kurt could tell.

"Yeah! Just let me grab my wallet." Kurt answered. He grabbed the mentioned item from his bag in Wes' room, reminding himself to grab his phone too before meeting up with the others.

The group, consisting of Wes, Nick, Jeff, David, Trent, and a few other Warblers, were waiting at the main entrance. Everyone else was either at sporting events or practice, or studying and doing homework to leave their weekend free.

Seeing them there, Kurt couldn't help but think as his friends as a whole, both Warbler and Cheerio alike. He grouped Finn and Mike with the Cheerios, knowing Sue would find some use for them. The two groups together would be a force not to be reckoned with. Santana's HBIC attitude, mixed with Finn, Mike, and Wes' protectiveness, Nick, and Jeff's pranks, Brittany's love, David and Trent's thoughtfulness, they all blended together so well.

Mike had been his first male friend ever. Even when they got to High School and the bullying became worse, Mike never stepped in because Kurt didn't _want_ him too. They were almost cousins, and Kurt didn't want to see Mike get hurt because of him.

Once they truly were cousins, the two became inseparable during the summer. Tina found it cute, and Blaine… well, Kurt didn't want to think about how Blaine saw it.

Finn…was a different story for him, Kurt realized as he glanced out the window of Jeff's large Santa Fe. He loved the giant oaf, not like he used to though. That was puppy love, a borderline case of Stockholm. Kurt wasn't in love with _Finn_. It was the _idea_ of Finn. Someone to protect him, but who could hurt him at the same time. Someone who knew him, yet knew nothing about him.

Nick and Jeff were his first two tentative friends at Dalton after Blaine. Looking back, Kurt saw how much they tried to warn him of Blaine. But he just wouldn't listen. Kurt saw how good they were together too, even now as Jeff drove and Nick watched him lovingly from the passenger seat. They were forever, the soul mates who would make it out of High School, just as Kurt's parents did.

They had become friends when Kurt found the wrong classroom, ending up in a Biology classroom while looking for French. The teacher had seen it as an honest mistake for someone who didn't know the school, and had Nick and Jeff take him to the right room. From then on, they made it their jokingly job to walk him to French every day.

David and Trent were next on the friend list. David had pulled him aside after Pavarotti's death, finally realizing exactly why Kurt acted the way he did around the Warblers. He explained the rules and customs far better than Blaine ever had, and partnered Kurt up with Trent for a few musical lessons on what songs would be better suited to suggest to the council. That was how Trent and Kurt began to bond, over music and a shared love of it. David had also introduced him to Wes as more than just the head of the Council.

Santana was a whole other being. One second she could protect him, the next she could bring him down to the ground. They had been friends, back in first grade, but something changed with her and they fell apart. Between Santana coming to terms with her love of Brittany, and Kurt coming to terms with his hate of Blaine, the two reconnected.

She was the one Kurt had called after the disaster at Scandals. The girl had marched down to the bar- she lived only a few blocks away from it, Kurt found out later that night- and offered to cut Blaine and Sebastian into small chunks that would never be found. They bonded over two things that night, a shared person, and a like mindset.

As they drew closer to the mall, Kurt's mind wandered the last people of the group. Brittany, his sweet, kind, loving kitten. Out of everyone, she had always been his best friend. And if he was truthful, she was his first love. Yes, he had always been gay(_"Since I was three and wanted a sensible pair of heels"_), but Brittany was just…just Brittany. How could he not love her? His time spent acting 'straight' was just that, acting. But his relationship with Britt was real. He honestly had felt bad when she wanted to have sex, but he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to her, and he honestly just couldn't. Even when they were making out, Kurt's mind was screaming that he didn't like it.

He loved her, he just wasn't _in love_ with her. And he knew she would be happy with Santana. He also knew Brittany loved him too, which was they made each other a pact. When they were ready, they would try for a pregnancy. Brittany's family had a history of twins, so just one pregnancy would hopefully be enough. Brittany and Santana would have one baby, and Kurt would have the other. They would grow up together, but separate.

Finally, was Wes. The one person Kurt could never figure out. Even now, as they sat close together in the crowded car, Kurt barely knew a thing about him. He was strong, level-headed, a natural leader, Kurt knew that much. Wes could be happy one minute, but controlling the next. Your best friend or worse than any teacher you could ever have. And it was that mystery that kept Kurt around.

"Come on Kurt, we're here." Wes smiled softly at him. Kurt couldn't help but smile back. Even with Wes being a huge mystery, Kurt wouldn't trade his best friend for anything in the world.

* * *

_Rushclaw had only eyes for him. Songpaw may be a soft name, but let every cat here know that it does not belong to a soft cat! I'll listen to everything Rushclaw teaches me, and then…McKinley won't know what hit them!_

The tangy smell of blood woke Kurt up on Sunday morning.

For a second, he worried about Wes. Had he been hurt? The older Warbler's arms were wrapped tightly around Kurt's waist, and he seemed to be ok. But where did the blood smell come from?

The answer hit him like a train. It was coming from the wound on his nose! He shrieked, wriggling out of Wes' hold as Trent, startled awake from Kurt's shriek, looked at him with a puzzled glance.

"Kurt?" Trent questioned with a yawn. "What's up?"

He didn't answer, he just rushed to the bathroom, looking in horror at the deep mark that marred his face. There was no way he could cover that one up. "Damnit! Dad's gonna kill me! Or the Warblers! Or both!"

"What's wrong now?" Wes grumbled, not happy about being woken up early on a weekend. He looked at Kurt's reflection in the mirror, his eyes automatically falling on Kurt's nose. "Shit!" Wes grabbed a washcloth, running it under some warm water before dabbing at the wound. "Rushclaw really did a number on you, didn't he?"

"He ruined my skin!"

Wes watched the light in Kurt's eyes change to a spark he had never seen before in his friend. "But it is a pretty cool scar, isn't it?" Kurt asked.

Wes chuckled. "Guaranteed people will think twice about bullying you, especially if you spin a whole story about how you got away with just that scar and the scratches on your shoulder, while the other guy has a lot worse."

Kurt hesitating before speaking again. "It won't need stitches…will it?"

The grimace on Wes' face as he moved the washcloth said it all. "You may need a few."

"Damnit." Kurt groaned. "Coach is gonna kill me, and then dad's gonna kill you guys."

"Or they'll congratulate you for holding your own in a fight. Let me call the nurse, she can do them."

"I'd rather have Heather do them, that way we won't have to explain much to her." Kurt suggested.

Wes nodded, pulling out his phone. "Hey Mrs. Duval, is there any way you could make it to Dalton today? Rushclaw- Yeah that. Alright." He looked at Kurt. "She'll be here soon."

Kurt groaned again as the washcloth became more painful than soothing. "How soon is soon?"

"Ten, fifteen minutes? Twenty at the most." Wes shrugged.

_What a great start to today…_ Kurt sighed mentally.

_It could've been worse._ The voice from yesterday, Kurt could now identify as Rushclaw's, said. _I could've gotten your ears, or maybe it'll be your tail next time._

Kurt paled. He did not want to know where those scratches would end up.

~.~.~.~.~

"Training new apprentices this hard…and with your asthma too! Just wait until I get a hold of that tom!"

Heather Duval, Nick's mother, managed to get to Dalton in a little less than fourteen minutes. She came prepared with a full first aid kit, complete with stitching equipment. She cleaned the wound across Kurt's nose more efficiently than Wes, enlisting the head Warbler and Devin's help to keep Kurt still, and was soon ready to stitch it.

Nick and Jeff were standing guard outside the room, to deflect any student or teacher who came near. The last thing they needed was someone to find out about Kurt before they were able to come up with a convincing story. Trent had gotten word out to the other Night Shifters and Warblers who knew about them, no doubt he had told Brittany and Santana too. It would help them keep Coach Sylvester at bay though, so there were no protests of it.

"But I managed to pass his test." Kurt had said proudly. The initial shock and anger of his skin being ruined had worn off, and now he was boasting of his newest scar. "He's going to train me harder than Coach Sylvester trains her Cheerios, because he said he only trains leaders."

Heather froze, shutting her eyes for a second before sighing. "That's no excuse for _attacking_ an apprentice. Now hold still." She threaded the first stitch through, making sure it was secure. "You only need two more."

Kurt sat as still as he could manage, only wincing as she finished the last two. Devin and Wes were unneeded as he grinned, the movement turning into a grimace as it pulled at the last stitch. "Dad's still gonna kill the Warblers. He told them to be careful, and I can't exactly tell him how I really got this."

"I'm still all for saying you got into a fight. Besides, you _did_ get into one…there's claw marks to prove that." Wes pointed out.

"True…" Kurt thought about it for a second. It would be a steady alibi, but fighting was so unlike him. Everyone at McKinley saw him as too prudish to do anything that would involve ruining his clothes or skin.

_That's what makes it the best alibi._ Kurt blinked at Rushclaw's words.

_Maybe…how the hell are you doing this?_ He didn't receive an answer. Kurt just shrugged it off after that, choosing to not think too hard about it. It wouldn't do any good anyway, nothing else made sense to him. Like how he was able to get hurt in his dreams, and have the wounds in the waking world.

Or how things in the waking world did not seem to go to the dream world. The bandages he wore on his shoulder were there only when he was awake with the Warblers. In the clan, he had to rely on the marigold poultice. Brittany's necklace, given to her by Santana a month ago, had been missing as well.

"Try not to stretch them out too much." Heather warned. "They'll be ready to come out in about a week, maybe less if you're careful."

Kurt smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

~.~.~.~.~

Burt stared in disbelief as two boys collapsed onto the couch in his living room. The Warbler, Burt believed to be Wes, seemed a bit tense. But it wasn't until Burt looked to Kurt that he knew why.

"What the hell happened?" Burt shouted, getting Carole and Finn's attention from the kitchen. Across his son's face, right on the bridge of his nose and going under his right eye, was a stitched up wound.

"Mr. Hummel, it was completely our fault." Wes blurted out. He stumbled to get the story out and Burt's disbelief grew. "We went to the mall and lost track of Kurt and Devin- our Junior Warbler- and found Kurt locked in a fight with some guy."

"This is the only thing that happened." Kurt reassured his father. Burt shook his head, getting up to take a closer look at Kurt's face.

_First the scar on his neck from being slammed into a locker and now this?!_ It would be a worse scar than the one on his son's neck though. _Lizzy what has gotten into our son?_

"I was just protecting Devin." Kurt didn't flinch under Burt's gaze.

Burt knew there was either more to the story, or a completely different story altogether. But he wasn't going to press for it. Kurt seemed ok other than the stitches, so he didn't need to kill any Warblers. Why was he not notified about Kurt getting stitches though?

"Heather stitched you up?" Burt guessed. He knew Kurt was close to one of the Warbler's mothers. He used to go to school with her, and Burt was glad she was able to look out for Kurt while he was at Dalton.

Kurt's nod was all the confirmation Burt needed. "She told me to be careful and the stitches could come out in a week."

"I'll be the judge of that." Burt heard Carole call from the kitchen. He chuckled, knowing that she would be listening in on the conversation. Over the past year she and Kurt had grown close, and Burt was relieved. Kurt needed a mother figure, there was just so much Burt could do for the boy. And he would never deny that Carole was good for both of them, Finn too. Burt had a loving wife and sports-wise son; Kurt had a mother figure and a brother.

If only he could stop Finn and Mike from corrupting Kurt with those video games.

After thanking Wes for bringing Kurt home and sending the Warbler on his way, Burt turned back to Kurt. "I thought I told those boys to look after you."

Kurt smiled sheepishly. "Well daddy," _oh dear, _Burt thought. Kurt only pulled out the 'daddy' card when he wanted something, was in trouble, or went over the credit card limit. "It's been a while since they went shopping with me. They forgot how easy it is to lose me."

So it was the trouble one. "Kurt, you're not supposed to run off, what if someone kidnapped you or something?"

"I'm not seven." Kurt countered, just as he always did when Burt tried to 'baby' him. "No one would kidnap me."

"No, because you're just the son of a congressman and a star cheerleader under Sue Sylvester, no one would kidnap you."

"Now I see where I really get my sass from." Burt chuckled at Kurt's muttering. "And _because_ I'm one of Aunt Sue's star cheerleaders, I wouldn't get kidnapped. Everyone within a seven hundred mile radius knows what would happen if I did."

Burt had to agree. The woman could be scary on a good day, and her bad days made even the Puckerman boy want to hide. "Yet they'll pick fights with you?"

Kurt's sheepish smile was back. "I may have started it…they were picking on Devin."

"And just who is Devin?"

"Junior Warbler." Kurt explained. "He's ten. Devin's father is dead and his mom's M.I.A. pretty much."

Burt sighed. So Kurt was just protecting this kid, it made sense. The boy had a temperament to match Lizzy. "I don't want you picking any more fights Kurt. What if you had gotten something worse than that?" He waved to Kurt's nose. "I mean, that's bad enough!"

"It looks cool!" Burt glared to Finn, who had popped his head in from the doorway to the kitchen. "I mean, if he only got away with that from a real fight, no one's gonna want to mess with him."

Burt grudgingly agreed. The scar marred Kurt's face, but it did add a sense of danger. And from everything Kurt and Finn had ranted and cried about with that glee club to Carole and Burt, he would bet the garage that Kurt would need that danger.

"And it makes him less girly."

Hearing the growl from his son, Burt was quick to step out of the way.

"Get back here you bastard!"

"Kurt! Language!" Carole yelled as the two boys ran out the back door.

There was one thing he missed about Kurt's younger age. There was no worry of the boy getting hurt at home, unless he managed to break a tea cup, fall off his bike, or do a jump for that ballet class wrong. But with Finn around, there was no chance for peace.

Burt wouldn't trade it for the world.

* * *

**A/N: I had to do a bit of Burt's POV in the end there. It was just calling to me.**

**Next chapter, more of Niff(because I didn't really add them in here…Devin sorta took over so you got to see the beginnings of his and Kurt's friendship.), more secrets, more Family!Kurt/Finn/Mike, and a new ally lurking right under the Cheerios noses. Don't worry, this ally is not some extra/other character, it's actually someone very familiar!**

**And let's just say, the beginning of the next chapter is a bloody mess!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I think it's safe to say that A Beautiful Reflection will be updated a LOT. I have a set plot, set characters, and a sequel in planning too. This chapter's gonna show a bit of the other characters too, specifically Mike and Finn. Over the next few chapters there'll be more with Sorrelpaw, Trent, Niff, and Brittany too.**

**WARNING: FIGHT SCENE. TWO OF THEM. AND MINOR CHARACTER DEATH. And this chapter is going to be huge, because it contains a lot of things in it. The next chapter will be a time jump. Nothing too large, it's just that I have no plans for Nationals since the main characters of the story (Kurt, Wes, Mike, Trent, Finn, Brittany, and Santana) are not part of ND. **

**Add On: I wanted to finish this chapter, and I did. The next will have the time jump after a few loose ends are tied.**

**This took so long to get up because all in a row I had finals, graduation, vacation, and a bad bout of illness. The good news is, though, that I now have up to chapter 35 planned out. How the chapters are going to be split is not planned though, so it may be 35 chapters, it may be 15 long ones, or it may be up to 45 chapters. Beware, the next chapters are going to transition into longer chapters it may seem like less dialogue, but there will just be more stuff between all the talking. I used to write pretty long chapters (I have an old Klaine (ew) story that had 13 pages for one chapter, and a Pokémon story that had close to 41 pages per chapter.)**

**As I am uploading this chapter…I'm sure everyone has heard of what happened at 12:30 A.M. Central Time. Cory Monteith died of a suspected overdose. This is going to be the last chapter for a while…It just doesn't seem right writing Finn or anything with Glee right now. I finished this chapter, but the others will have to wait. I just...I had to finish this chapter or it would never get done... RIP Cory, you were a great actor and though I never met you, you seemed like a wonderful person.**

_Italics mean flashbacks_

**Chapter 6: McKinley isn't home anymore**

* * *

Kurt tried to sink into the cold, hard chair he found himself in.

"Porcelain, Gel Helmet, tell me why I have to deal with not one, but both of you in my office now?"

He tried to hold back a whimper at Coach Sylvester's disapproving glare. Beside him, in an even more uncomfortable chair, was Blaine. Both boys looked to be in pretty bad shape, Blaine being worse off than Kurt.

"Miss Sylvester, I-"

"Can it Hobbit." She silenced Blaine before looking to her Cheerio Co-Captain. "Kurt, what happened?"

Kurt looked up at the cheerleading coach, regretting his decision to get the stitches on his nose out now. A week had passed since his harsh training session with Rushclaw, and the wound had closed nicely. It still had a while to go before it would just be a scar like the one on his neck, but it did have the desired effect. No one had messed with him, until Blaine did. "Aunt Sue, what happened…"

"_So the slut's back from whoring around Dalton then?"_

_Kurt cursed his luck. Last week had been so peaceful; he managed to avoid talking to any member of New Directions. Then again, Santana and Brittany acting as personal body guards may have helped that. Monday brought a different story with it as Kurt came to school in the middle of passing period before lunch. The stitches were now gone from his nose and the small holes where they once were had disinfectant spray on them. _

_It was just his luck that Blaine would be waiting by his locker. "You're a week late and multiple brain cells short." Kurt countered. His last trip to Dalton had been when Wes introduced him to the new recruits. "Your whore of a boyfriend has wrung Dalton dry of the desperate, and the worthy ones are all taken, so save the slut comments." He shouldered his way past Blaine, glad when he didn't feel the stinging from the now healed scratches there, and opened his locker. His hand was jerked back just in time to save it from being crushed as Blaine slammed the door shut._

"_Sebastian told me it was you that got a hold of Isaac."_

"_And who is that?" The name sounded familiar to Kurt._

"_The one you got your little claws into." Blaine sneered. "Heard he had to go in for his rabies shots afterwards."_

He can't know about the dreams…he's going off of Sebastian. _Kurt thought as he opened the locker door again, this time moving to block it from being shut with his shoulder. He kept his back to the lockers, not giving Blaine the chance to do more damage. "Oh, you mean the Warbler with his face all scratched up? Well from the moaning in Sebastian's room the night before I'd say it was him that did it."_

Pick your battles Songpaw…_ A weight on his shoulders told Kurt exactly where Rushclaw was. He still had no idea how the cat was managing to visit the waking world and stay hidden from everyone, but he chalked it up to the same strangeness that allowed him to visit the dream world._

_Kurt studied Blaine carefully, thinking over his mentor's words. His ex-boyfriend was furious, already standing as if he was preparing for a fight. The hatred in his eyes was so different from the love that used to reside there. Kurt faltered as he thought of it, but quickly shook the thoughts away._

"_You're lying." Blaine tensed._

_Yes, Kurt was. Sebastian hadn't been at Dalton long enough to even flirt with anyone, let alone find one willing to sleep with him. "And how do you know?"_

_Other students were beginning to gather around them now in a wide, strangely perfect circle. Rushclaw's claws dug into Kurt's shoulders as Blaine seemed to get more and more angry. His ex was furious now, and was ready to throw the first punch. If only Kurt could get him to… "I mean, he has no quarrels about making boys into cheats, so why wouldn't he be a cheater himself?"_

_That had done it. Kurt stepped back quickly as Blaine swung at him with one fist. The students gathered around began talking loudly as they fought. The first punch missed, but Blaine's next one hit its mark on Kurt's stomach. _

_Kurt was quick to retaliate, slamming his palm into the crook of Blaine's elbow and bringing the boy to the ground. Blaine pulled Kurt down with him, forcing his head into the lockers. Kurt could see Finn and Puck forcing their way through the crowd from where he was, and fixed his step-brother with a glare. This was his fight and Finn had other troubles when he found Puck trying to break them up too._

_Blaine was delivering punch after punch as Kurt moved underneath him on the floor. _Wrong move, Anderson_. Kurt smirked, catching Blaine off guard. He tucked his legs up, giving a powerful kick to Blaine's hips and tossing the boy off of him. The crowd moved back as Blaine hit the ground hard before righting himself. _

_Kurt managed to get up onto his hands and knees, shaking his now loose bangs away from his eyes. The past week, Kurt had let his hair out of the perfection he usually wore it in, preferring to let it down in a looser style. He scrambled to his feet just in time to be held back by Mr. Schue. _

"_Let me go!" Coach Beiste had a hold of Blaine, and the boy struggled against her grip. He swung at her a few times, not landing any hits on her._

_Kurt just stayed still, not wanting to get into any more trouble._

Sue turned to Figgins. "Hobbit was the one to swing first." She pointed out.

"What are Mr. Anderson's views of this fight?"

Blaine told them the exact same story, but said that Kurt was the first to swing "He was talking to himself a lot too; I don't think he's stable enough for this school."

"What? You liar I didn't say a word to myself!" Kurt protested. _At least not out loud…_

"I heard him say he was going to try and kill me."

Kurt and Sue stared in disbelief as Blaine lied right to Figgins. And from the look in Figgins' eye, the man believed him.

"Mr. Hummel after last year's affairs I cannot let this go on."

"I never said that!" Kurt stood up from his chair. "What motives would I have to kill him?"

"Maybe the fact that _Chandler_ won't put out for you?" Blaine prompted.

Kurt glared over at Blaine. "Or maybe the fact that for the past _month_ you've been fucking-"

"Mr. Hummel, watch your language!"

"-Sebastian behind my back? I'm glad we haven't slept together since then, I'm scared to get whatever disease he gave you!"

"Well maybe if you weren't such a prude-"

"_Enough!_" Sue glared at Blaine. "Shut your gel-helmeted head before you find your stash of gel replaced with cement. Porcelain, calm down." She turned the glare to Figgins. "Do something about this!"

"I will." He said after a few seconds. "Mr. Anderson, detention. For a week."

"Punishment for fighting is suspension…" Kurt muttered.

"Mr. Hummel, _you_ are suspended for ten days for threatening another student's life."

"_WHAT?!"_

Kurt stormed out of Figgins' office, angrier than ever. _Just wait until dad finds out!_ Blaine swings first, and _Kurt's_ the one suspended? The whole school was there, he did nothing but defend himself!

If Sue had not lead Kurt out of the room, he would have given Figgins a reason to suspend him. And ten days…Nationals was in ten days. _But I'm not part of New Directions anymore._ He thought gravely. And with the suspension…it wouldn't matter if he had a regionals win and National Cheerleading title. He would never get into NYADA. _If I could have just one more title, I could apply to a better school…and then I would be done with McKinley at last._

* * *

Mike grimaced as he sat down gingerly beside Vixenpelt, Sootstorm, and Brittany. _That's the last time I ever play with the kits. _Dovekit, Gorsekit, and Rabbitkit had backed him up into a thorn bush while playing. He could swear that he still felt a thorn near the base of his tail…

"I heard the patrols are being stepped up." Mike's ears perked up as Vixenpelt spoke. "Foxear and Rushclaw came back with some dog fur on the border yesterday, and Stormstar said for them to guard the border with the other apprentices and Yewstrike."

Sootstorm nodded from Mike's left, pawing at the mouse in front of him. "Yeah, and Dovekit and Bramblekit are going to be apprenticed soon. Think one of us'll get one?"

Mike shook his head. There was no way they'd be up to be mentors. Brittany was still an apprentice herself, and Vixenpelt and Sootstorm had just become warriors two months ago. Mike had been visiting for about a year, and spent six of his months as a warrior, but there were other cats in the clan who would be better mentors. "We're all too young. With the dogs attacking more, Stormstar's probably going to choose older warriors." There weren't many without apprentices though.

_Maybe Stormstar should ask a few loners to join us._ Mike thought. _I mean, we all fear the same thing._ He shuddered at the thought of large jaws getting a hold of another cat. _And I would stop things like that from happening to another cat._

"We need more apprentices." Sootstorm sighed. "If only Doveflight and her litter…" He cut off with a few mumbles. It was only a month ago that the queen had died from a dog attack. Only Sorrelpaw had lived from that attack, and they made sure to stay quiet about it around her.

"There'll be more." Vixenpelt promised. "Just…not now. Gorsekit and them aren't quite old enough, and I've heard that Stormstar already promised them to the apprentices now."

"Huh?" Brittany's tail curled around her paws. "But there are four of us: Me, Kurtie, Trent, and Sorrelpaw."

Mike shrugged. "Stormstar'll figure it out." It was not their place to argue with him about mentors. Mike was just glad to be able to help the clan.

"But-" Startled screeches broke Sootstorm from what he was about to say. The three warriors jumped to their paws, Vixenpelt standing between Brittany and the entrance to camp. Mike took a step toward the opening; jumping back as Sorrelpaw came running in.

"Foxear's dead!" She wailed, slamming right into Sootstorm. The two cats tumbled as the warrior tried to subdue her.

Mike and Vixenpelt kept their attention on the entrance as the whole clan seemed to gather around them. The next cats to come in were Trent and Wes, the still body of Foxear carried by them. Rushclaw was the last cat to come, dragging Kurt between his paws with his jaws clamped around the apprentice's scruff. Kurt was struggling against the grip, trying to get loose.

"Stop it!" Rushclaw growled lowly. Mike took a closer look at the two and noticed how battered they looked. "You can't walk with those thorns in your paws!"

_So I'm not the only one fighting bushes._ Mike shook his head; now was not the time to find the humor in things. Especially with Brittany pressed against his side, her body was shaking with fear. His tail wound around hers as he pressed his nose to her forehead.

"It's ok." He mumbled before nosing her over to Vixenpelt. A dull thud signaled that Sootstorm had finally gotten Sorrelpaw to the ground. The she-cat's eyes were blown wide, her iris' hidden behind fear filled pupils, and she looked like she could not catch her breath.

Mike then looked over to Trent and Wes. The two Warblers were setting Foxear's body down in the middle of camp. His blood ran cold as he realized what Sorrelpaw had said was true. _He's really dead…_

The warrior's eyes were shut, probably done by one of the others on patrol with him before they brought his body back. His head was at an awkward angle though, and blood still flowed from a large gash in his neck. Foxear seemed so much smaller now, so unlike the warrior Mike had known.

_He was my mentor…_ Mike's ears fell against his head in sadness. _And Sorrelpaw…to lose her father…_

Another pelt brushed against his side and Vixenpelt's sweet scent filled his nose. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"Where's Britt?"

"With Songpaw, she's helping Littlepaw get the thorns out of his pads." Mike nodded and walked up to Sorrelpaw, crouching down next to her and pressing against the shaking apprentice.

Stormstar was out of his den now, Elizabeth right behind him. The somewhat plump she-cat made her way over to her son as the leader stood in front of Wes, Trent, and Rushclaw.

"What happened?" He ordered.

Rushclaw sat up straighter, his eyes darting over to where Sorrelpaw and Mike were grooming Foxear's pelt. "I was training the apprentices in the trees. We were getting close to the border where Foxear was on patrol with these two." His ears flicked to Trent and Wes.

"There was a dog." Wes continued. "On our side of the border, Foxear told Trent to get Rushclaw and then take the apprentices back here, but…"

"It was too late." Rushclaw's tail lashed. "There was more than one dog- we were outnumbered two to one."

Stormstar's eyes narrowed and Mike looked up from grooming his mentor's shoulder.

_This can't be good. _Mike growled. _Two to one, it's never been like that. The clan's always only faced one or two at a time, never that many!_

"There was a warning too, from a cat that was with them."

The whole clan fell silent.

_A cat? With the dogs?_ Mike looked back at Foxear. _Was it…no. It couldn't be._

"What was the warning?"

Rushclaw took a deep breath. "We know your secret,"

* * *

_Watch your back, in this world, and the human world._

"Finn, what's up? You seem puzzled, more than normal."

Finn shook his head, staring down at his breakfast. That morning, he had woken up before Kurt. Something that _never_ happened. Ever.

His little brother seemed to be having trouble moving, like he had been in football practice until midnight and then slept wrong. It always happened to Finn and his mom said that the best cure for it was a hot bath.

"You should take a bath." Finn looked up to Kurt. "You look like you're in pain."

Kurt grimaced. Finn was glad that Burt had to go in early to work. If he knew that Kurt was hurt…well, hurt worse than that scar over Kurt's nose, he would send Kurt straight to bed with pain medicine and not let him move at all. And Finn also knew that wouldn't be good for him.

"Alright." Kurt sighed, taking another drink from his coffee. Finn couldn't see how Kurt could stand to drink that stuff, it was bitter and strange. "Not like I have anything else to do today anyway."

Right, Kurt was suspended. Finn tried to forget about it, how unfair it was. _I mean, I wasn't suspended for hitting Puck. And Santana and Quinn fought without getting suspended too._ That last one made more sense to match to Kurt's fight in Finn's mind. Because of Santana being gay like Kurt, well, lesbian…so she was not like Kurt. She was opposite of Kurt? Finn shook his head again.

"Stop thinking so hard." Kurt had that fond smile on his face that made Finn grin goofily. "Your poor brain cells need a break."

Not many people could get away with talking about his brain and not hurt his feelings, but he knew Kurt did it in a brotherly way. Like how Puck used to. But Puck would not even talk to him. Most of New Direction's would just ignore him and his cousin and little brother. They ignored Brittany and Santana too.

It was bad, but it was good too. Without glee club taking up his time, Finn was actually getting even better grades. Usually, with the help that Kurt and Mike could give him during their free time, he could get straight Cs, maybe a B here or there, and rarely, a one-hundred-percent-A-plus. But since they quit, he had gotten ten one-hundreds. It wasn't that he wouldn't study; Burt had been the one to point out that Finn didn't know _how_ to study. And now that his schedule was freed up, he could study better.

And speak of studying… "Oh shit! I'm gonna be late!" He stuffed the last of his breakfast into his mouth before grabbing his backpack and racing out of the house, leaving a chuckling Kurt behind him.

He made it to the school with only seconds before the first bell was to ring. Thankfully, the first class he had was Glee; meaning he had time. _I forgot, we don't go to glee anymore._ He would just hang out with Mike and Santana and Brittany in the bleachers during first period, where the girls would run through a few cheers and Mike would take a nap. He had never known Mike to be one to fall asleep at school; hopefully he would be more awake today though, Finn wanted to talk to him about something. _I should've asked Kurt about it…_

He parked the Navigator- Kurt allowed him the car for the ten days he was out, finally trusting Finn to not hit anyone else- and grabbed his bag before making his way to the football field. It was late enough that the hockey team would not think of straying to the field and facing Coach Sylvester's wrath. Santana was waiting for him at the bleachers.

"Hey Santana," Finn hi-fived the girl, "Where's Mike and Brittany?"

She nodded her head to the top of the bleachers. "Up there, I was sent to talk to you about something."

"Oh, I have to talk to Mike about something…" Finn saw the guarded look in Santana's eyes and wondered what it was she wanted to talk to him about. "Did something happen?"

"Not…exactly. Look, I wanted to wait until Porcelain was here and let him explain it to you, but this can't wait." Santana shifted her stance and leaned against one of the support beams. "You know how Mike, Brittany, and Kurt are always tired in the morning?"

"Yeah, does it have something to do with a secret that's been found out?" Finn watched as Santana grew quiet. The girl grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip and drug him up the bleachers to Mike and Brittany. He was shocked at how somber the two looked. Brittany's hair was put up in a loose pony tail; her eyes were like she had gotten no sleep the night before. Mike was worse off; his head was resting on Brittany's shoulder and Finn wondered what the bandages on his hands were for.

"How much do you know about shifters?"

"About what?"

Santana sighed angrily. Finn had no idea what he could have done to anger her though. So what if he had no idea what she was talking about? "What were _you_ talking about? What secret?"

Finn thought back to last night. It had been his weirdest dream yet. As soon as he woke up he swore off of drinking soda before bed ever again, at least for a few weeks until he forgot why he was not drinking soda. But the dream… "We know your secret; watch your back in this world and the human world. What's it mean?"

"How could he know about it?" Brittany seemed more alert now, her blue gaze shrouded with puzzlement. "He wasn't there."

"Look Frankenteen," Santana began, "There's a choice few of us, including a few of Kurt's Warblers, that somehow become cats in another world in their sleep and it's a bunch of freaky magic shit that Kurt can explain when you go home."

"Freaky magic cats?" Finn questioned.

Santana ignored him. "Right now we have bigger problems, how did you know about the warning?"

"I don't know, I just heard it in a dream last night… I thought it was because I was drinking soda before bed again." Was Santana crazy? Telling him that there were a few people having dreams about being cats and magic and another world, "Santana is this a joke? Or did your dad get you guys some of that gas the dentist used to make you guys see Brittney Spears?"

"It's not a joke Finn." Mike spoke up. "Yesterday, you were with me all day until nine. My mom can vouch for me that I didn't hurt myself from the time I got home to the time I went to bed." He waved his hand to show Finn the bandages. "Last night I was playing with the kits- kittens, and stepped right into a thorn bush."

"Ok? But you could've just-"

"Brittany has a scar on her arm from training when Thad accidentally shoved her out of a tree." Mike motioned to Brittany, who showed Finn the tiny white scar. "And Kurt's nose? Tell me who would aim for an area so visible in a mall fight. He got that training with his mentor."

Finn shook his head. They were forcing too much on him at once. Magic and scars from dreams and talking cats…it was like something right out of Harry Potter. There was no way it could be real! But, Finn took a look at Brittany's arm and Mike's hands again, and thought about how Kurt passed his scar off as a mall fight gone wrong, it was pretty strange. And the few Warblers that would always visit Kurt had scars sort of like his, especially that Wes kid. He needed some time to really think about things. "Look…can we talk about this after school? You guys are just tossing all of this at me and it's too much!"

Mike smiled apologetically. "Sorry Finn, we're just a bit on edge right now and could really use another friend in this."

"And I am another friend." Finn told him. "Dude, we're cousins now. Like I told Kurt before, I look after family. Just give me today to think about everything you guys told me."

"It is a lot to take in, especially when you aren't a shifter." Santana muttered. "You, me, and Nick and Jeff are all on the same page."

"A few other Warblers too," Brittany added, confirming Finn's thoughts of his brother's friends. "Not all of them can shift."

Finn nodded, thinking about what to say before speaking again. "Ok, what I got from everything you told me so far is that some sort of magic- this sounds like something from Harry Potter- can make some people shift in their dreams." Mike and Brittany nodded. "And they aren't really dreams, because you can get hurt in them." Another nod, "and the secret's been found out…and that's bad?"

"I'll explain it after school." Mike said. "Just let that first part sink in. Yes, it's bad, because if the wrong people found out, we'd be killed."

"Look Finn, just keep to yourself today." Santana warned. "Because if you know the secret, you're a target too. And there's someone who's really going to be after us."

"Who?"

"Blaine."

Finn found it hard to pay attention to Spanish class that day, not that he did pay attention before. Ever since the Glee Club split, Mr. Schue had taken to ignoring the bullying again. And with Finn on the receiving end of it this time, he could finally see why Coach Sylvester hated him so much. _Was he really like this to everyone but his favorites?_ Finn kept his eyes on the notebook he had open as the teacher droned on and on about some verbs that Finn had no use for. _No wonder the others hated me and Rachel so much._

His notebook, unlike Mr. Schue's scribbled handwriting, had better use... On its pages were drawings of things in his most recent dreams. If he had been truthful with Santana, he would have told her that the dream with the warning had not been his first strange one. Finn was never one for complex drawings, but the ones he did now were in full detail. A forest seemed to come to life on the page, as if he had spent weeks on it, and not just his other study hall period.

Within the tree's branches and roots were shadowed figures. One was larger than the rest, with clear details to every part of it. There was a slightly smaller one beside it and three smaller behind the second. As Finn drew, he found that the figures began to take a defined shape. They were cats.

On another page was a darker drawing. It was a desolate, craggy place full of shadows and harsh sunlight in spots where the sun could reach. Bones littered the ground and gleaming eyes peeked out of larger shadows. Finn could not put a species to the creatures the eyes belonged to, but a name jumped to his mind. _Sebastian._

This was what stirred Kurt up when Sebastian and Blaine spoke to him at their last Glee meeting, what Brittany had been so fearful of. Finn remembered how there seemed to be more behind everything that went on that day, and this must have been it. The room did seem pretty cold that day, and not just because of the Kurt and Blaine split. Finn could have sworn he heard someone- or something- growling when Sebastian was goading Kurt to try and attack him and Blaine.

"Finn," funny, Mr. Schue never paid attention to him any longer. It was always Blaine he called on. "Can you translate what's on the board?"

_In other words, let's show the class how stupid you are._ His mind translated. Finn looked to the board and the words written on it. He tensed minutely when he saw them. _Is he joking?_

Clear as day for the world to see, the words 'Beware the wolf in sheep's clothing. Look for the silver snow in the darkness as shadows score the light' lay waiting for Finn to translate. _That can't be right!_ He looked over to Santana, and his fears were confirmed. They were not right. The words were not on the board. _But I can see them!_

"Finn?"

He could feel another person's eyes on him. Blaine was staring at him intently, just waiting for him to slip up. Finn's fear grew not at that though, but the growling voice in his ear. _It says, 'Marco likes to swim at noon with his friends.' Translate it!_ He surprised even himself as the correct translation seemed to fall out of his mouth.

Mr. Schue stared at him for a moment. "Try to seem like you're paying attention next time." Was all he said before continuing the lesson.

The talk could not wait until after school. He sent a quick text to Mike and Brittany, and was the first out of the door, dragging Santana with him out to the Navigator.

"Finn, what's going on? You're acting like you've seen a ghost!" Santana tried to worm her way out of the teen's grip, but Finn held tight. Mike and Brittany met him at the car, and all four got in once Finn unlocked it.

"Look, we can't wait to talk." Finn started the car, trying to stop his hands from shaking. "What was on the board wasn't what I translated. I mean, I didn't see what I translated, I saw something different." He told them what he saw on the board.

Brittany's eyes widened as Finn talked. "Mike, you don't think…"

"I do." Mike frowned. "Finn, let Santana drive, you're shaking too much." They switched seats, Santana now in the driver's seat and Finn in the back with Mike. "Hawkclaw was wrong."

"W-who's Hawkclaw?" Finn asked.

"We'll tell you once we can get the others." Mike looked to Santana again. "Get to Kurt's. We need to contact Wes."

Finn sat back in the seat as Santana drove. Had it not been for the urgency in Mike's voice, he would have protested the blatant lack of respect for the speed limit, knowing that Kurt would blame _him_ for any tickets. As it was, he did not think Kurt would protest any tickets now. All Finn wanted was answers as to why this was happening, and why it had to happen to him.

* * *

The cool water felt good against his paws as Kurt walked along the riverbank. The forest was peaceful, compared to a few days ago.

"_Songpaw! Sorrelpaw! Get out of here, now!"_

Foxear's last words to them haunted his thoughts. The sounds of dogs barking, cats yowling, Foxear's screeching…

_The dogs were so close to them now. There was no time for either of them to get up the tree. Three had chased them far into the forest, onto the other side of the border._

"_Sorrel, run! I'll hold them off!" Kurt shoved her towards the bushes, lashing out at the nearest dog. There were so many, but Kurt tried not to think about that too much. All that mattered was keeping Sorrelpaw safe. _I can withstand a few blows. Sorrelpaw though… _With a growl, he lashed out at the nearest dog._

_A terror filled screech filled the air only to be choked off. Kurt's focus fell and the dog snapped at his legs._

Kurt gave a heavy sigh as he walked out of the river, sitting in the cooled grass and licking at one of his thorn-scarred paws. He could still feel the sharp stings as if the thorns were still there, still taste the blood that Devin had him lick off before he walked on the sandy ground. But there were no thorns, no blood to taste, just the memory of his first real fight.

_With quick foot work, Kurt jumped back out of the way of the dog's jaws and right into another's paws. A quick spin had his tail flicking dirt into the eyes of the much larger dog, throwing him off guard and whining with pain. _

"_So, the she-cat can fight?" The words sounded distorted, but Kurt could recognize that voice anywhere. His back arched up as his pelt prickled, standing up against his spine as his claws scoring the earth with deep gorges. How could he be so lucky as to run into the very dog he wanted to?_

"_Sebastian." His lips curled into a snarl as he looked at the largest dog. The other two moved to flank Sebastian, and Kurt could recognize Isaac, the dog he attacked before. The dog to Sebastian's left though, was one Kurt had no memory of. His fur fluffed more though as he looked at the dog's pelt. It seemed to be dripping off of her, with hollow eyes and torn skin… _It's a m-monster_ Kurt thought to his first visit, being chased by one of those things. This one though, this female seemed to be under Sebastian's control._

"_What's wrong, little kitty?" Her words seemed even more distorted than Sebastian's, and that was when Kurt realized they were distorted because they were barks. Not meows, not human speech, but dog barks. "Too scared to attack now?"_

_Kurt ducked his head, bunching his muscles to attack. He had no chance to though; Sebastian moved his tail slightly to the right, and the monster-dog attacked._

A twinge on Kurt's shoulder blade reminded him of the infected mark. Outside of the Other World as they were now calling it, his human self was in a medicine induced sleep at Mike's house. Burt and Carole were in D.C. for a few meetings, and did not want Kurt staying all day home alone without Finn or someone else with him. His uncle offered to watch him during the day, much to the protests from the eighteen year-old. Once the infection truly set in, those protests fell quiet.

What pissed the teen off was how quick his fight with the dogs was over.

"_You'll never forget me now, Kittypet." Sneered the monster-dog. She was towering over the balled up Kurt, blood welling up at the bite marks but not spilling. "Sebastian, get the others and retreat, I'm sure those other cats are dead by now. If not…kill them."_

"_N-no…L-l-leave them alone…" Kurt's paws were shaking as he moved to stand. It was like standing on fire. His vision blurred as Sebastian and Isaac turned to leave. "Come back and f-fight you fox-heart!"_

"_Now now, such language is not tolerated." With a well-aimed strike, the monster-dog knocked Kurt to the ground. Looking to make sure the other two were gone, she circled him. "Whatever Sebastian wants with you…will have to wait. Of course, he is the one who wanted to attack you."_

_This is Sebastian's fault…what does he have against me now? I mean; he has Blaine, turned most of New Directions against me, not to mention he pretty much has me beat here…_ Kurt shook his head, looking up at the half-moon. Tonight was the clan's most vulnerable. With Devin and Heather awake, Littlepaw and Creamfur were gone. And Rushclaw had informed him that the half-moon was when Hawkclaw went off to find if there were any new important things. He was not told much, though he knew there was more to it than that.

_If you're so nosey about it, why not become Hawkclaw's apprentice like he wanted?_ A voice said in his head. Kurt shook it away, his ears flopping slightly with the force. _No way! It seemed interesting at first- and much less messy- but I'm a _warrior_ apprentice for a reason! Hawkclaw's wrong. _

_Or does the medicine den remind you too much of hospitals?_

Kurt had no definite answer for that. It was true though, the smell of herbs reminded him of the smells of the hospital. There was more to it though. Something deep in him always growled about being in that den when he was not hurt. It was because of the bullying, the stereotyping. Being a warrior apprentice beat out quite a lot of it.

It was subtle, but Kurt could see the defined muscles underneath sleek fur, that reflected in his human self as well. His eyes were sharper- it saved him a slushy last week- and he could easily tell if any of the New Directions were sneaking up behind him by the scent of their perfume or cologne now. Gone was 'Lady' Hummel, Kurt was outgrowing that foul name.

It was not the only thing he was outgrowing. Something about the Other World had sparked his growth spurt. Within the five days he had served of his suspension so far, he had grown about two inches. Both his bodies were taller, with their own differences.

His feline form, while having more muscle, he believed was built to swim. Stretching his paw, Kurt looked at the slight webbing between his toes. His dew claw was hooked for fishing things from the water, his other claws having a slighter hook. He also noted how his stamina grew in this form, and his asthma was more under control. It took more than a trot in the forest to trigger it, and he recovered faster.

The body he was used to was built more for running. He was lithe, not too skinny with just the right amount of muscle. Years of running from bullies accompanied by training were giving him an edge. In a sparring match with Trent, he could hold his own with fleet-footed dodges and quick attacks. While he was not quite as good as the seniors, he was still doing great. The changes did not go unnoticed by his father and step-mother either, who would sometimes make the odd comment about it. When they did Kurt would just shrug it off, saying things like "It's just the runs I go on with Mike sometimes," or "Brittany and I are doing more yoga; she wants me to help her with some Cheerio things too." With him being back on the Cheerios, he had the perfect alibi.

Sitting still for so long was beginning to take its toll on the infected wound. The muscle around it was beginning to stiffen up and it made Kurt squirm. _Oh…what was it that Devin put on my muzzle? Marry-gold, no…nettle? Wait he used that on something else._ He flicked his tail in frustration.

"Oh what was it?" He muttered, standing up and keeping his right paw off the ground. It would be hard to make it to camp alone with the infection, but he would do it. "Poppy? No, I think those make you sleep. Maybe honey? I don't see how that could help… the sugar would aggravate it." He gave up trying to remember. It was not like it would help him any. Without someone to show him which herb it was, the name would give him no relief. Deciding to just go back to camp and wait for Hawkclaw was the best idea.

_The monster-dog kept circling Kurt as he writhed in pain from the bite. His eyes were shut, but she could see the vapors rising from it. "Yes… You're perfect." The distortion seemed to be more satisfied as Kurt's breath turned into harsh pants, the thorns in his paws only adding to the pain. "It will hurt for now, but in time, this will be your savior." _

_Kurt's eyes opened half-blindly just in time to see a silver tail disappearing into the undergrowth. His ears picked up the rushing of small paws, Sorrelpaw's paws to be exact. There was another with her._

"_Kurt!" He could feel Sorrelpaw's nose touch his neck. Her voice sounded tight, as if she was holding something back behind it. "Rushclaw, he's here! He's alive!"_

_The next thing he could remember, Rushclaw was half carrying, half dragging him into camp. Ahead of them, Wes was carrying the still body of Foxear. _Poor Sorrel…_ His thoughts were barely coherent to himself. _Losing her mother and father, it's not fair._ He squirmed, trying to get out of Rushclaw's hold and over to Sorrelpaw. He had to comfort her somehow._

"_Stop it! You can't walk with all those thorns in your paws!"_

Featherstep was the only cat inside the medicine cat den when he reached camp. Gorsekit and her siblings were curled up beside their mother, all three fast asleep. The she-cat looked up as Kurt walked gingerly on the sandy ground. "Are your paws bothering you, or your shoulder?"

"A little of both," Kurt admitted. "It's mostly the shoulder though."

Featherstep nodded and climbed out her nest. She stretched before padding over to where the herbs were kept and pulling out a few different leaves. _Comfrey….Marigold…Cobwebs…_ the list ran through his mind as if he had known it all his life and Kurt found his ears drooping at that thought. _I'm not a medicine cat! I'm a warrior!_

"That should do it." The queen's gentle paws pressed the last cobweb onto the infected bite to keep the marigold in place. "Kurt, is everything alright, besides this?"

He sighed. "A lot's bothering me." Admitting it to Featherstep made him feel better than expected, so he continued to speak, "Sorrelpaw's grieving still- and she has right to- I'm worried about her, I was suspended from school for something I didn't do, and Sebastian's still out there…"

"I fail to see how two of those should be any of your worry." Featherstep hummed as she prepared the comfrey poultice for his paws. "Sorrelpaw will be alright, she has friends to keep her company. You don't have to focus on balancing sleep, school work, and training now. And Sebastian, I presume, is one of the dogs. The warriors can handle that." She hooked one of her paws around his to lift it and place it into the poultice. "Keep it there. You need not to worry about anything like that just yet, why you're hardly more than a kit."

"This is about more than just him attacking the clan though." Kurt protested. "It's all his fault that Blaine and I aren't together again," he turned his gaze to the ground, "and…it's my fault too."

"Wrong again little one." Featherstep's tail wrapped lightly around Kurt's in a comforting gesture. "That _boy_ was nothing but a fox-hearted cheat and it's no one's fault but his own. Why if he was my kit I would have shredded his ears for all of that."

"So you heard what happened?"

"The whole clan did, it was all that Brittany would talk about; how 'her dolphin' was going to flay the mutt and his monster."

Kurt chuckled along with the queen at Brittany's wording of how things went. He quickly sobered and switched paws, putting his right one into the poultice next. Soft snores from inside one of the nests made Kurt's ears perk again. Gorsekit and her siblings were still sleeping, he had forgotten for a moment. "Do you miss being a warrior?"

Featherstep looked towards her nest. "Every queen does, especially during the first and last moon. You miss running with your clanmates, hunting and fighting alongside them. But that first look you have at your kittens, it just chases that feeling away and at the same time makes it burn brighter than ever. My mother told me that having kittens makes a warrior stronger for three reasons: they have a purpose to keep fighting, they have something precious to protect, and the added weight makes crushing enemies underneath you so much easier."

"But to see your kits fight in battle…" Kurt felt relief at the fact that he would never see a kit of his own in battle. Sure, there were times when he looked towards the future and wanted maybe a kid or two. Those times were in the human world though, not in this cold, battle ridden dream.

"I know what you mean Songpaw. I've lost a few kits before; I'm not new to motherhood." She looked to the stars from their space just inside the den, and Kurt followed her gaze. "I wish I could tell you it's not that bad of a pain, but it's something that never leaves. It's a win-win, lose-lose though. Kits have the same fear as their mothers. They worry that their mother's next time on patrol may be her last. The world is cruel like that and it's something we have to put up with.

"You just have to focus on the happy. Or, as your _dear_ mentor will tell you, focus on what will make you stronger." Featherstep bent her head to give Kurt's ears a few reassuring licks. "As I said, you're barely more than a kit. Stop worrying so much about things like that." The dark sky began to brighten as twilight turned to dawn. The rest of the clan would be waking up soon, and the Night Shifters would soon be with them. "I hope you weren't planning on sneaking into your nest for a nap now."

Kurt shook his head, jumping up and shaking the dust off of his pelt. "Nah, I've slept too much already. Rushclaw wanted me to join the dawn patrol."

Featherstep smiled. "Are you going to eat before you go?" She teased, knowing well that the silver cat beside her had never tried fresh-kill.

"Nope," Kurt purred. "I'll save the mice for the warriors."

The two shared a smile just as the dawn patrol, consisting of Rushclaw, a burly warrior named Heavyfoot, Vixenpelt, and Stormstar appeared from their dens. The low growl from Rushclaw told Kurt that he was expected to be with them, and he rushed over with a quick goodbye to Featherstep.

Featherstep simply shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Kits!" She said with mock exasperation, "Never have time to give a proper goodbye anymore."

"That's my son for you." Elizabeth took her son's place next to Featherstep and watched as the patrol left. "I hope he saves at least some of that energy."

"Is he going to need it, or will Rushclaw let him crash later?"

The worry in Elizabeth's eyes gave more away than anything. "He'll need it. I just hope Rushclaw lets him come and say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Featherstep turned her head. "What do you mean Softheart?"

"He's not coming back until late June." Elizabeth said softly. "Rushclaw and Wes…they're taking Kurt and Sorrelpaw to the northern mountains to train."

Featherstep gasped. "What? But the clan needs them here! And how will they manage that if Wes and Kurt are Night Shifters?"

"I'm not sure, but it's all that Stormstar would talk about."

"But what about your kits?! Rushclaw would really make him miss the birth of his half-siblings?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes. "My father trusted Rushclaw with my life, and now it's time for me to do the same with my son's. And I trained Wes myself, if anyone can take care of Kurt, it's him." She sat motionless for a second before leaping up. "I'll just have to go and say goodbye myself!"


End file.
